When Renewal Calls: Embracing Rest in Ministry
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.” […]
State ecumenical groups ramp up efforts to combat Christian nationalism
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 […]
Vote with the interest of your neighbor in mind
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 […]
May We All Be Promoters of Peace
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 […]
The politics of religion and voting your faith
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 […]
A Living Testimony of Death to Life
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 […]
Wisdom is a Woman
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 […]
Tuition giveaway’s real costs
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 […]
When They Go Low…
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 […]
A glimpse into the abyss
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. […]
A Sound Mind
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 […]
Putting on the Full Apron of God: The Sacramental Moments of the United Methodist Church General Conference
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 […]
Masks, money mean a mess
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 […]
North Carolina Council of Churches Releases Faithful Voter Reflection Guide: Empowering Faith Communities to Vote Their Values
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 […]
Finding Hope in a Time of Planetary Crisis and Political Decline
On a beautiful Saturday morning during Earth Month, dozens of advocates convened at Binkley Memorial Baptist Church for a Forum on Religion, Ethics, and Ecology. Eco-Justice Connection staff, Susannah Tuttle […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Faith leader urges Tillis to strengthen family immigration
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 […]
Welcome John Dempsey Parker!
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 […]
Extra money, N.C.’s critical needs
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 […]
Plastic Jesus: Embodied Faith in a Synthetic World
The following sermon was delivered by Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director, on Earth Day Sunday at Binkley Baptist Church. Click here to listen. Everywhere we look in our culture, you […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
2024 Lenten Guide: Easter Sunday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Good Friday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Maundy Thursday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Palm Sunday
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 […]
Will election ‘machinery’ grind its gears?
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 […]
Healthier Aging through Intergenerational Inclusion
A recent New York Times piece titled “Old and Young, Talking Again” explores the link between cross-generational connections and improved perceptions and outcomes of aging. Opportunities for younger folks and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2024 Lenten Guide: Fifth Sunday
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 […]
Antidote to Death
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 […]
Gender Justice: Renewing the Heart of Our Humanity
On the week of International Women’s Day NC Interfaith Power & Light Director, Rev. Susannah Tuttle shares how women around the world are coming together with compassion and forgiveness, with […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
2024 Lenten Guide: Fourth Sunday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Third Sunday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Second Sunday
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 […]
Prayer for the Primary
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: First Sunday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Ash Wednesday
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 […]
2024 Lenten Guide: Terror and Amazement
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 […]
Schools face ‘sound basic’ showdown
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 […]
Gov. Cooper, NC faith leaders rally for abortion access on Roe v. Wade anniversary
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 […]
Abortion rights advocates call for greater access to mark Roe v. Wade anniversary
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 […]
‘This is the thing of nightmares’: Raleigh faith leaders rally for access to abortion on anniversary of Roe v. Wade
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 […]
Freedom or Control?
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: Epiphany of the Lord
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: First Sunday After Christmas
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: Christmas Day
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: Fourth Sunday of Advent
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 […]
Law expands concealed carry rights in churches
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 […]
Navigating Grief During the Holidays
Near the altar where I stood 10 years earlier to co-officiate their wedding ceremony, I rested at a podium as my eyes shifted between my brother-in-law seated on the front […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2023 Advent Guide: Third Sunday of Advent
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 […]
Health Plans: Tackling Diabetes Disparities for All Americans
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: Second Sunday of Advent
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 […]
Citizen science projects tend to attract white, affluent, well-educated volunteers − here’s how we recruited a more diverse group to identify lead pipes in homes
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 […]
They ‘stand’ against a gerrymander
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: First Sunday of Advent
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 […]
‘Grins and Glocks’: Wake Forest orthodontist offers free gun with Invisalign treatment
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 […]
2023 Advent Guide: A Journey Towards Justice for Women and the LGBTQ+ Community
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: […]
Welcome Sandra Pardo
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 […]
Navigating Grief and Hope
You cannot write the word on social media without triggering an inquiry about your safety or being digitally reprimanded for violating the platform’s community policy. But the digital space isn’t […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Faith, Hope, and Healing: #Every1KnowsSome1
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, […]
Gerrymander games get going
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 – […]
Look out North Carolina, our tax dollars are being spent on a biased religious agenda | Opinion
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 […]
Separation of church and state? Religious groups get $26 million in NC taxpayer money
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 […]
A Clergy’s Call to Confronting Opioid Overdose
My neighborhood is interesting, and you never know what to expect when you walk out the door. I thought nothing could surprise me until one Saturday this summer, around 7:30 […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Faithful Event: Reproductive Rights through a Spiritual Lens
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., […]
North Carolina groups unhappy with 2023 Appropriations Act lack of solutions to overdose epidemic
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 […]
We March to End Fossil Fuels
The energy in the air on Sunday, September 17th, was palpable. That weekend, I joined the March to End Fossil Fuels. North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light was one of […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Secrecy-obsessed legislators turn to new maps
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 […]
Election board shuffling spells trouble
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 […]
Gay Teacher’s Case Latest to Probe Religion-Sex Bias Boundaries
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 […]
September is Healthy Aging Month at PHW and Beyond!
Healthy Aging Month is in full swing at PHW, with faith communities across the state building elements of our Healthy Aging Inclusion Plan into the new church year! I am […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Hurdles Loom for Tar Heel Voters
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 […]
North Carolinians Deserve Updated Building Codes
On Friday, July 7th, Governor Cooper vetoed HB 488. As people of faith, we applaud his leadership and understanding of how this piece of legislation will negatively impact the people […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Resources from the 2023 Legislative Seminar
Recordings and resources from the 2023 Legislative Seminar are now available. View the resources below:
Welcome Donna Parks Hill
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 […]
Not All Christians Oppose Abortion | Opinion
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 […]
Crossroads for voting access, fairness
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 […]
Celebrating the Success of the Council’s Legislative Seminar!
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. […]
Fired Gay Church Worker’s Lawsuit to Be Heard by U.S. Court of Appeals’ Fourth Circuit
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 Coordinator (Bilingual – Spanish/English)
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 Act, SB20
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 […]
North Carolina clergy demonstrate against legislature’s new abortion limits
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 […]
Officials, advocates answer questions on solar, wind power
“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 […]
North Carolina’s no-permit concealed carry bill dropped before vote in NC House
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 […]
A Faith-Focused Suicide Prevention Training for All
There are topics that can be difficult to talk about, including death and grief. Of these topics, one particular situation that is more common than we think is suicide. And […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
May is Mental Health Month!
Happy Mental Health Month! This is a terrific time to promote helpful mental health practices with your faith community. We can also increase awareness for those living with mental health […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Governor Roy Cooper to Receive North Carolina Council of Churches’ Faith Active in Public Life Award at Upcoming 2023 Legislative Seminar
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 […]
High court careens back to the future
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 […]
Concealed carry permit bill advances in NC House committee
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 […]
Bill to legalize no-permit concealed carry in North Carolina advances through state House committee
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 […]
After switch, they’re set to party hearty
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 […]
Welcome Carrilea Hall
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. […]
Project Coordinator: Overdose Response and HIV Education
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 […]
N.C. Council of Churches advocates for gun violence prevention
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 […]
Faith community leaders call on Gov. Cooper to commute NC death sentences of all prisoners awaiting execution
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 […]
NC faith leaders ask Governor Cooper to commute sentences of death row inmates
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 […]
A New Vision of Justice
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 […]
Renewable Energy Symposium slated for Earth Day week
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 […]
Energy Bills are Increasing while Duke’s Climate Progress is Stagnant
At the Lumberton rate hike hearing, I had the honor of attending and giving testimony alongside the community members of Robeson County. I heard the pain in people’s voices as […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Three faiths marking holidays in N.C.
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 […]
Faith leaders call on NC governor for end of ‘racist and error-prone’ death penalty
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 […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Easter Sunday
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 […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Good Friday
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 […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Maundy Thursday
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 […]
The NC Council of Churches files a comment with the NC Utility Commission in support of low-income households
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 […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Palm Sunday
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 […]
Upcoming symposium to focus on the continual harm inflicted by Confederate monuments
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 Supports Faith-Based BIPOC Mental Health Grant
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 […]
N.C.’s court of supreme do-overs
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 […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Fifth Sunday in Lent
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 […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Fourth Sunday in Lent
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 […]
Ministry Along I-95 Requires New Tools for Clergy
Within a few weeks of starting in my position at the Council, I met Cape Fear Valley Health Community Paramedic Chris Dudley at a health resource event in Fayetteville. Unlike […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2023 Lenten Guide: Third Sunday in Lent
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 […]
Nourishing Lives During National Nutrition Month
Guest Author Kim Eshleman, Faith Communities LiaisonFaithful Families Thriving Communities/Steps to Health (NC State University’s SNAP-Ed program) Nutrition is a word with many connotations and one that may evoke complex […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2023 Lenten Guide: Second Sunday in Lent
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 […]
Out of the starting gate — sideways
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, […]
2023 Lenten Guide: First Sunday in Lent
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 The Lord God took the man and […]
2023 Lenten Guide: Ash Wednesday
Excerpted from 2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 6:1-6 Beware of practicing your righteousness before […]
2023 Lenten Guide: A Season of Renewal
Years ago I preached for a friend in a “high church,” Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C.’s Capital District. As an aside, my students and I also were treated to a […]
Hours after Michigan shooting, North Carolina Republicans advance bills to loosen state gun laws
GOP lawmakers have passed similar legislation expanding gun access in past legislative sessions. This time, they might have the votes to override the governor’s veto. Hours after three students at […]
More North Carolinians died of opioid overdoses in 2022 than ever before
North Carolina saw record highs in opioid overdose hospitalizations and deaths in 2022. Some policies enacted in the middle of the last decade had helped to reverse trends from the […]
PHW Spotlight: Meet Apostle Michelle Sledge of Kingdom Entity Apostolic Ministries
Apostle Dr. Michelle Sledge is the pastor of Kingdom Entity Apostolic Ministries and the faith lead for the PHW mini-grant funded initiative that provides wellness programming to the food pantry […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Introducing Healthy Aging and Mental Health Inclusion Plans
Rev. Jessica Stokes, PHW Associate Director, Mental Health Advocacy Krista Westervelt, PHW Associate Director, Healthy Aging Partners in Health and Wholeness is excited to announce our new inclusion plans for […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Veto Showdowns and Voter ID
The N.C. General Assembly gathered on Jan. 11 amid trappings of ceremony and good cheer to kick off its 2023 session. Then reality reared its head: At least in the […]
Job Opening: WNC PHW Regional Associate Director
North Carolina Council of ChurchesPartners in Health and Wholeness ProgramImmediate Position Opening: Western Regional Associate DirectorJanuary 2023 40 hr/wk; 3 weeks paid vacation; paid sick leave, HSA contributionLocation: Western North […]
North Carolina Council of Churches Announces Nicole Johnson as Program Director for Partners in Health and Wholeness
RALEIGH, NC – On January 2, 2023, the North Carolina Council of Churches announced the next Program Director for their Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) initiative. Nicole Johnson, former […]
Ecumenical Group Files Amicus Brief Supporting Fired Gay Church Worker’s Lawsuit
A group of Protestant churches in North Carolina has filed an amicus brief supporting a gay plaintiff’s Title VII claim against the Catholic school that fired him in 2014, according to Law360. Lonnie […]
2022 Advent Guide: Epiphany of the Lord
Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 60:1-6 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has […]
2022 Advent Guide: First Sunday after Christmas
Excerpted from Keep Awake, 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 in the heights!Praise him, all […]
2022 Advent Guide: Christmas Day
Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 96 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.Sing […]
2022 Advent Guide: Fourth Sunday
Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. […]
Friends don’t call 911 for overdoses for a reason — NC law is behind, advocates say
A coalition of advocates, including parents who have lost children to overdose deaths, is calling on legislators to expand North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law. One key change they want is […]
NC Churches Back Gay Catholic School Teacher At 4th Circuit
Law360 — A coalition of Christian organizations in North Carolina urged the Fourth Circuit to uphold a gay teacher’s Title VII victory against the Catholic high school that fired him […]
2022 Advent Guide: Third Sunday
Excerpted from Keep Awake, 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 glad; the desert shall […]
2022 Advent Guide: Second Sunday
Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 71: 1-17 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to […]
2022 Advent Guide: First Sunday
Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 2:1-5 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and […]
Judges not legislators: State Supreme Court’s legitimacy depends on continued respect for precedent
Maybe the change was an inevitable byproduct of our charged and contentious era. Maybe it was naïve to ever think that things were dramatically different in the past. Whichever the […]
COP 27: Together for Implementation on Loss and Damage
As you have hopefully heard in the news, the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27) is currently taking place in […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
High court faces school funds switcheroo
The N.C. Supreme Court – or at least a slim majority of its members – invoked its solemn duty to uphold constitutional rights when it agreed in a Nov. 4 […]
2022 Advent Guide: Keep Awake
The central calling of an Advent ethic is waiting. But this waiting is not a passive or idle activity. The root word for wait is the same root word for […]
‘Faithful Voter Reflection Guide’ Weighs Moral Issues for NC Voters
Progressive faith leaders across the state say they’re encouraging congregations to educate themselves on candidates and issues. They are sharing an online Faithful Voter Reflection Guide, which offers a moral perspective […]
‘Think outside our walls’
Speaking to local faith leaders on Nov. 3, Reverend Jessica Stokes from the N.C. Council of Churches encouraged their organizations to “think outside our walls” and take pragmatic steps to […]
Press Conference in Response to Raleigh Mass Shooting
The following remarks were delivered by Eco-Justice Connection Director, Susannah Tuttle, during a gun violence prevention press conference on October 14, 2022, in response to the recent Raleigh mass shooting. […]
NAACP, Council of Churches gather for prayer, call for end to gun violence
Community partners are calling on gun owners to secure their firearms in response to Thursday’s mass shooting. Watch the press conference:
Critics Say Utilities Panel Not Doing Enough to Shape NC Carbon Plan
Advocates are contending North Carolina state agencies are not doing enough to slow down the devastating impacts of climate change. Last year Gov. Roy Cooper signed an energy bill into law, which […]
Against George W. Bush’s CIA Torture Program: Roundtable
On the first ever Protestant Libertarian Podcast roundtable, my three guests are Reverend Doctor Jennifer Copeland, who is the director of the North Carolina Council of Churches, Doctor Christina Cowger, […]
NC Council of Churches Reaffirms Resolution That Supports Abortion Rights
The headline above a column published over the weekend in the Washington Post declared “I don’t want your god in charge of my health care.” Writer Kate Cohen, in the September 26 column, […]
The Importance of Community and Climate Week NYC
Once a year, environmental leaders from around the United States and around the world come together to meet in New York City. On my first big solo trip as an […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
North Carolina Council of Churches Passes a Resolution on Reproductive Health
RALEIGH, NC – On September 13, 2022, the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches approved an updated resolution on Reproductive Health. The resolution references a 1970 Council […]
North Carolina Council of Churches Passes a Resolution on Reproductive Health 
RALEIGH, NC – On September 13, 2022, the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches approved an updated resolution on Reproductive Health. The resolution references a 1970 Council resolution […]
2022 Willona Stallings Award presented to local Broadway, N.C. church
GREENSBORO, NC — More than two years after the the nation’s shutdown due to COVID-19 and five years since the previous Faith and Health Summit, Partners in Health and Wholeness […]
2022 Willona Stallings Award for Excellence in Community Innovation to Annie McIver, Health Lead for Cameron Grove African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
This past Thursday at the Faith Health Summit, the Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) program of the North Carolina Council of Churches presented the 2022 Willona Stallings Award for […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Resolution on Reproductive Health
Approved unanimously on September 13, 2022 by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches Whereas, in 1970, before the Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that the U.S. Constitution protects a pregnant […]
Dishonoring the Boy Scouts of America
As the proud parent of an Eagle Scout (Occoneechee Council), the announcement that Boy Scout organizers have invited former president George W. Bush to address the Scouts in the Raleigh area next week […]
Faith & Health Event Spotlights Wellness for North Carolinians
A faith-driven community event in Greensboro this Thursday offers a full day of free workshops on healthy eating, mental health, HIV prevention and more. Its organizers say they hope to […]
Coalition visits Greenville to talk judicial reform
Advocates for voting rights took aim at partisanship in the North Carolina judicial system and criticized Chief Justice Paul Newby for actions they said has made the courts less fair. […]
Group advocates for removal of judges from party affiliation
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – A group by the name Fair Courts NC wants to stop judges from affiliating with a political party. They are driving around the east to speak in favor […]
Democracy Rooted in Imago Dei
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland at the #MapOurFuture: People Over Politics virtual town hall on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The event focused on Moore […]
Welcome Stephenie Sanders
The Council is excited to introduce you to one of our newest staff members, Stephenie Sanders. Stephenie joined us earlier this month in the position of Program and Engagement Administrator […]
Welcome Arlecia Simmons
The Council is excited to introduce you to one of our newest staff members, Arlecia Simmons. Arlecia joined us earlier this month in the position of East Regional Associate Director […]
International Overdose Awareness Day
August 31st is International Overdose Awareness day. It is a day to remember those we have lost to overdose and to raise awareness on evidence-based practices to prevent overdoses like overdose prevention centers and overdose reversal medication such as Naloxone and Narcan. According to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Is North Carolina’s judicial system fair? This group says no way. Here is the reason why.
Are actions by the General Assembly threatening the impartiality of North Carolina’s judicial system? A coalition of left-leaning nonprofits under the umbrella of a group called Fair Courts NC thinks […]
Fair Courts Press Conference
The N.C. Council of Churches includes 18 denominations with churches large and small, urban and rural, black, brown, and white all across the state. One of the things we all […]
Fair, Safe and Secure Elections
Prior to the 2020 elections, a representative from the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution team reached out to the North Carolina Council of Churches. For the first time in its 40-year […]
Faith and Health Summit 2022 Mindful Safety: Covid Protocols
We are counting down the weeks until September 15, 2022. As of today, we are 4 weeks and 2 days from the Faith and Health Summit. Join us at Holy […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The North Carolina Carbon Plan
In the past few months, for better or for worse, the climate crisis has come to the forefront of the conversation. The Senate recently passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Who decides on ‘sound basic’ spending? Stay tuned
Like it or not – and there are plenty of reasons to worry amid the familiar end-of-summer bursts of excitement – another school year will soon get under way. The […]
A Resolution to Change the Cash Bail Bond System
Approved unanimously on June 7, 2022 by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches. Updated September 12, 2023. Considerable empirical evidence demonstrates that the cash bail system is inequitable and ineffective. The […]
Health Ministry as Peace Work – A Reflection on Peace Month
This August marks one year since I first reached out to the Partners in Health & Wholeness (PHW) team as a potential host site for my Senior Practicum in Peace […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Faith and Health Summit 2022
MINDFUL TOGETHER Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God The countdown has begun. Did you know that the Partners in Health and Wholeness Faith and Health Summit is back […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Tribute to the Life of the Reverend Dr. T. Anthony Spearman
A tribute written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, North Carolina Council of Churches, and Isaac Villegas, Governing Board President, North Carolina Council of Churches. By now most of us have […]
Duke carbon plan headed for public hearing
The North Carolina Utilities Commission is hosting a series of hearings this summer to take public input on the draft carbon plan that Duke Energy filed May 16. Hearing opportunities […]
Supreme Court ruling on West Virginia vs. The EPA
What it is, why it happened, and what it means for clean energy. The Supreme Court finished its session by ruling against the EPA in a case against West Virginia, […]
‘Independent’ legislature: Fair elections at risk
The U.S. Supreme Court, as if rushing to settle old grievances, in recent weeks has thrashed about in a virtual frenzy of “originalism” – never mind the consequences for America’s […]
Meeting the Moment for LGBTQ+ Older Adults
There are currently 3 million LGBTQ+ adults aged 65 or older in the United States and that number is expected to double by 2030 (source). While the age-related needs of […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Opioid settlement money coming to NC. How faith leaders want to see it spent.
North Carolina faith leaders started hearing from their parishioners several years ago that the opioid crisis was hitting home. They didn’t always know how to help. For many families and […]
Job Opening: PHW Regional Associate Director
North Carolina Council of ChurchesPartners in Health and Wholeness ProgramImmediate Position Opening: Regional Associate DirectorJuly 2022 40 hr/wk; 3 weeks paid vacation; paid sick leave, HSA contributionHybrid Position, Travel required […]
Job Opening: PHW Program and Engagement Administrator
North Carolina Council of ChurchesPartners in Health and Wholeness ProgramImmediate Position Opening: Program and Engagement AdministratorJuly 2022 40 hr/wk; 3 weeks paid vacation; paid sick leave, HSA contribution,Hybrid Position: 2-3 […]
Triangle faith leaders, community organizers react to end of Roe v. Wade
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday morning, people and groups across North Carolina spoke out in reaction to the end of federal protection of […]
NC Faith Leaders Call on U.S. to Pay ‘Fair Share’ for Climate-Related Loss
Faith and climate leaders convene in Charlotte this week, as the Southeast Climate and Energy Network and US Climate Action Network join forces. They’re asking the nation to pay its fair share to help […]
NC Faith Groups Raise Awareness on Election Integrity
As redistricting processes wrap up across the country, faith groups in North Carolina are working to raise awareness and educate residents on issues related to election integrity. Jennifer Copeland, executive […]
Farmworker Advocacy Network Coordinator
Farmworker Advocacy Network Coordinator (Bilingual – Spanish/English) The Coalition Coordinator will be an employee of the North Carolina Council of Churches, which is a member of FAN and the fiscal […]
Faithful Voter Reflection Guide
Today Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) released a faithful voter reflection guide in advance of the upcoming election season. The guide discusses many of the defining moral issues that are […]
Clergy urge opioid money to go toward harm reduction
Fifty clergy members signed a letter, urging that opioid settlement money go toward harm reduction efforts. Watch Live on Spectrum News 1.
50 faith-based organizations petition for effective drug treatment funding
As overdose deaths in North Carolina continue to soar, a group of more than 50 statewide faith-based organizations is calling on city and county officials to act. In a letter sent […]
NC faith leaders say opioid funds should be used for harm reduction
North Carolina will receive $750 million from a settlement with opioid makers and distributors. A group of faith leaders is calling on local governments to use that money with compassion. […]
Health officials & faith leaders hope settlement money makes big difference in opioid crisis
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – North Carolina will soon receive $750 million in settlement funding for substance abuse resources and treatment. The state Department of Health and Human Services reported an […]
2022 Critical Issues Seminar: The Ties that Bind Our Democracy
Our week-long 2022 Critical Issues Seminar: The Ties that Bind Our Democracy was a huge success! The entire week of presentations has been profoundly impactful as we do our shared work to educate, inspire, […]
1 in 6 North Carolina counties have more gun dealers than mental health providers
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — While the country recovers from two mass shootings in 10 days, the national conversation is turning to two topics: gun access and mental health. In a […]
Aging and Imago Dei
Is there an expiration date on our inherent worth and dignity? An aging out of being made in God’s image? The past two pandemic years have been a litmus test […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Beyond stigma and shame to recovery and hope in addressing substance-use disorder
The North Carolina Council of Churches began addressing the issue of substance-use disorder and overdose response before its Oklahoma counterpart. Elizabeth Brewington joined the council in 2018 specifically to work in this […]
A Statement on the Tops Supermarket Shooting in Buffalo, New York
by The Rev. Dr. Conrad Pridgen, Governing Board President-elect, Presiding Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2nd Episcopal District and The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, North Carolina […]
Healthcare is a Justice Issue
May 2022 may be the first time in my 57 years that I’ve deeply appreciated the arrival of spring. Yes, spring officially began in March but it was still a […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
LGBTQ Faith Leader and HIV Advocate from WFU of Divinity to Appear at GLAAD Media Awards in NY
At the GLAAD Awards, Rev. Dr. Jones will explain her work as a faith leader in the fight against HIV: “Ours is just one of many faith communities working to tell […]
A Season of Renewal
As I look out my window, I see azaleas in full bloom and the glorious bright green leaves of the trees have leafed out all across North Carolina. I am […]
Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly
The following remarks were delivered by the Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, during a memorial service and press conference at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh commemorating Workers Memorial Day. Click here to view […]
Churches urged to utilize solar rebates
Faith groups such as the N.C. Council of Churches and Interfaith Power and Light are urging churches across the state to take advantage of Duke Energy’s solar panel rebate program, […]
NC Churches Highlight Solar Panels During Faith Climate Action Week
Duke Energy’s solar panel rebate program expires this year, and faith groups such as the North Carolina Council of Churches and Interfaith Power and Light are urging churches across the state to […]
You Shall Not Make an Idol
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, during one of the four gun violence prevention vigils that occurred across North Carolina on April 24, 2022. The following […]
School Spending, Quality at Stake
The colossal dispute over the proper financing of North Carolina’s public schools that has played out over 28 years is heading to a showdown before the state Supreme Court – […]
How fentanyl is poisoning the drug supply in NC
NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – One drug is responsible for thousands of overdose deaths in North Carolina, according to state health officials. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl, often combined with other […]
In the Trauma of War, We Pray for Ukraine
O God, who loves each of us, wherever we are in the worldWho calls each of us by nameWho knows our hearts and knits us in our mother’s womb (Psalm […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Community Superstar: Louise Vincent
This March, during Women’s History Month, we are highlighting four Community Superstars. These incredible women are local leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in their communities […]
Overdose deaths on the rise in North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — As the world begins to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re learning more about the collateral damage. This week, NCDHHS leaders announced 2020 […]
Community Superstar: Sandy Irving
This March, during Women’s History Month, we are highlighting four Community Superstars. These incredible women are local leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in their communities […]
Community Superstar: Penny Hooper
This March, during Women’s History Month, we are highlighting four Community Superstars. These incredible women are local leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in their communities […]
Bolstering Local Economies & Food Access: Faith Communities & Farmers of Color
By Justine Post, Come to the Table Program Director, Rural Advancement Foundation, partner of the NC Council of Churches BIPOC (Black & Brown, Indigenous, People of Color) farmers in the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Faith Groups Work to Reduce Stigma Around HIV Testing
Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and one in nine women with HIV are unaware they have it. Faith leaders in North Carolina are working to reduce […]
Paid Leave Can Help Make Us Well
This Raleigh Report was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in collaboration with Matt Rossi, Duke Divinity School intern. The past two years have revealed not only how vulnerable we […]
Community Superstar: Alberta Hairston
This March, during Women’s History Month, we are highlighting four Community Superstars. These incredible women are local leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in their communities […]
Map Showdown: Rights on the Line
Four months after the N.C. General Assembly enacted a new alignment of the districts in which our state’s congressional representatives are chosen, the gavel has come down: That district map […]
Community Superstar: Margaret D. Bordeaux
This February, during Black History Month, we are highlighting 4 amazing Community Superstars. These incredible people are local Black leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in […]
‘Tragedy beyond words’: 1st payments from national opioid settlement coming to NC soon
The settlement comes as North Carolina is seeing potentially record opioid deaths. A total of 3,961 people died of suspected overdoses in 2021, a 26% increase from 2020, when 3,132 […]
People of Faith Petition to Biden
Climate can’t wait. Every day of inaction costs us dearly. Many of our communities have experienced the severe impacts of climate change: wildfires, superstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and increasingly intense […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Community Superstar: Josh McClenney
This February, during Black History Month, we are highlighting 4 amazing Community Superstars. These incredible people are local Black leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in […]
Community Superstar: Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman
This February, during Black History Month, we are highlighting 4 amazing Community Superstars. These incredible people are local Black leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in […]
2022 Lenten Guide: 40 Days of Positive Change
Christians often use the season of Lent to focus on the basics. Some of us practice denial of certain luxuries and others practice the addition of spiritual disciplines. The point […]
Show Your Heart Some Love this February
One morning last summer, while taking myself on a hike on one of my favorite local trails, I struck up a brief conversation with a man in his 70s who […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
North Carolina’s $750 Million Dollar Opioid Settlement: How will it help?
If you are interested in learning more about the Opioid Settlement join us on February 10th from 11am-12:30pm for the Faith Health Connection: Opioid Settlement. We will be joined by […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
“Breathe Again: Health Air is Health Care” Trainings
Did you know that more than 40% of the U.S. is breathing dirty air and that in 46 states, communities of color are exposed to higher levels of dangerous air […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Community Superstar: Dr. Dawn Baldwin Gibson
This February, during Black History Month, we are highlighting 4 amazing Community Superstars. These incredible people are local Black leaders in North Carolina who have been doing amazing work in […]
Calling for Courage: A Response to the Bomb Threats on our Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Cowards perpetrate fear and sow discord. Such cowards are hard at work this week creating havoc on our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As an organization founded in 1935 […]
Opioid Settlement with Scott Briggaman
Radio Interview with Elizabeth Brewington, Partners in Health and Wholeness Associate Director, Overdose Response and HIV Advocacy.
Ahead of midterm elections, interfaith ‘revival’ links voting rights, climate
With the 2022 midterm elections looming 10 months away, faith leaders in the South are preparing a “revival” effort to reinvigorate voters around what they see as two crucial issues: […]
2021 Saw Record Number of NC Overdose Deaths
Advocates and faith groups are calling for more investments in harm reduction across the state, as new provisional data shows overdose deaths have increased statewide by 26%. It is estimated more than […]
Together: Wholly Sacred and Beautifully Ordinary
We breathe the same air, and we drink the same water. Nicole Johnson My grandfather was an old school farmer. Any suggestions to include newer techniques or farm machinery on […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Decision points on districts, schools
Among all the issues and challenges confronting North Carolina as 2022 gets under way – overcoming the pandemic, easing rural poverty, alleviating environmental threats, improving access to health care, on […]
Statement Condemning Violence Against our Jewish Neighbors
The North Carolina Council of Churches represents 18 denominations statewide among which are congregations large and small, urban and rural, multicultural and multi-ethnic. Today we stand in solidarity with our […]
Truth, Justice and Reconciliation
The following remarks were delivered by Executive, Jennifer Copeland, during the public launch of the North Carolina — Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (NC-TJRC) on January 20, 2022. To watch […]
The Sins of Guantanamo Bay
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, during a vigil on January 11, 2022 calling on the Biden administration to close the Guantanamo Bay […]
Democracy in distress? Check the maps
Americans this first week of January are recalling how close to the brink of disaster our nation’s democratic system came one year ago, when a violent mob seeking to keep […]
Launching a year of climate justice and resilience.
Register Here We need a climate revival! After another year of record-breaking climate disasters, environmental injustices are degrading our communities, God’s Creation, and democracy. This year, we’re changing the script. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
No to SB 43
The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on January 5, 2021 at a Gun Violence Prevention press conference. View the live stream here. When individual rights are at […]
2021 Advent Guide: Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 43:1-7 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called […]
2021 Advent Guide: Second Sunday after Christmas
John 1:(1-9), 10-18 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, […]
2021 Advent Guide: First Sunday after Christmas
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to […]
2021 Advent Guide: Christmas Day
Isaiah 9:2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.You have multiplied the […]
World AIDS day
Today, December 1, is World AIDS day. It is an opportunity for people worldwide to come together in solidarity with people living with HIV and to recognize those who have […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL Director’s Testimony on EPA Methane Rules
2021 EPA Oil and Natural Gas Listening Sessions EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0295 Hello, my name is Susannah Tuttle. I am Director of the NC Interfaith Power & Light and serve as the Director […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
2020-2021 Overdose Deaths Heartbreaking Record
On November 17, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control released annual data on the number of unintentional overdose deaths in the United States. For the first time, this number topped […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
“Net-Zero” is a Dangerous Distraction
NC Interfaith Power & Light and NC Council of Churches are signatories. Read Letter Here More Than 350 Groups Condemn Corporate Net-Zero Pledges as a Dangerous, Unjust Distraction WASHINGTON 10/27/21 — […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Human Prayer Chain for Climate Justice
This week in North Carolina and around the world, faith communities are rising to the call from GreenFaith to pray for national and world leaders to take bold action to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Biogas & Communities Webinar Series
In Fall 2021, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL), a program of the NC Council of Churches launched a webinar series to begin to educate faith communities about the […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
President Biden choose a side: People Vs. Fossil Fuels
WATCH 2min Video Last week NC Interfaith Power & Light Director, Susannah Tuttle participated in the multi-faith delegation as part of the People Vs. Fossil Fuels civil disobedience actions at […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
North Carolina Council of Churches Opposes the Passing of HB 951, “Energy Solutions for North Carolina”
**Susannah Tuttle and Jennifer Copeland Available for Interviews** RALEIGH, NC — The North Council of Churches is committed to prioritizing policies that center justice and equity, and when a bill lacks […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Report Back from “People vs. Fossil Fuels” in DC
Starting on October 11, thousands of people from across the nation, including NCIPL Director – Susannah Tuttle, will be in Washington, DC, for People vs. Fossil Fuels — a week-long action […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
September – National Recovery Month
This month we recognize National Recovery Month and celebrate everyone who is in recovery however they define that to be. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines recovery […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Tell Congress: Climate Can’t Wait
Right now, Congress is negotiating a once-in-a-generation infrastructure and budget reconciliation package that will determine whether our country transitions to a clean energy economy in time to avoid catastrophic climate […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Eco-Justice Youth Leadership Fellow
NICOLAS EASDALE I have a passion for drawing and painting, because I want to be an illustrator and a storyboard writer for Marvel Comics. Marvel Comics is notorious for […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Eco-Justice Youth Leadership Fellow
HANNAH KLEIN I am currently in my last year of undergraduate school at Appalachian State University. My two greatest passions have always been the environment and spirituality, thus I […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Faith & Climate Resilience Summit & National Day of Action
Faith Communities & Climate Resilience Thursday, August 26, 5:30 p.m. Online Our faith communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts and climate resilience. As climate disasters — wildfires, hurricanes, heat waves, […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NCIPL Eco-Justice Education & Advocacy Fellow
SUSAN BROOKS After graduating from North Carolina State University and Harvard Law School, I became a public defender in Florida and have continued in the field of public defense […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
PHW Honors Collaborative Church with Award
The past year and a half has been trying for all of us, some more than others. But a blessing that came out of this time of deep reflection was […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
#ActNow for Creation Justice!
Faith community members took to the streets of North Carolina in Raleigh and Greensboro in order to walk as an interfaith representation of people who support legislation on Congressional bold, […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Endorse NCIPL Resolution to Duke Energy
This fall, NCIPL leaders drafted a Resolution to Duke Energy asking that they set a carbon dioxide emissions reduction goal for the year 2030. Setting this reduction goal in this time frame is essential to alleviating […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spotlight: Olive Branch Ministry
HICKORY, NC — Founded by the Rev. Michelle Mathis and her wife Karen Lowe, Olive Branch Ministry is a faith-based harm reduction agency covering nine counties in the foothills and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Do This in Remembrance of Me
As Americans, our collective remembrance and solidarity have often centered around one key question: Where were you when — ? For my (white) parents’ generation, the question was: Where were […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Mental Health and Race: Barriers, Ideas, & Sacred Work (Part III)
To read Part I of this series, click here. To read Part II of this series, click here. In this series about mental health and race, we have looked at […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Endorse NCIPL Resolution to Duke Energy
This fall, NCIPL leaders drafted a Resolution to Duke Energy asking that they set a carbon dioxide emissions reduction goal for the year 2030. Setting this reduction goal in this time frame is essential to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Blessed are those who continue to mourn
Several months ago, as summer was just beginning, I wrote on behalf of the Partners in Health and Wholeness team to mark the tragic milestone of 1,000 lives lost to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement
NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL) is actively working to become an anti-racist program of the NC Council of Churches. We believe that relationships must be centered in justice and […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Mental Health and Race: Barriers, Ideas, & Sacred Work (Part II)
To read Part 1 of the “Mental Health and Race: Barriers, Ideas, & Sacred Work” series, click here. In all the stress and unknown of this world, resilience is a […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
October is National Substance Use Prevention Month
Do you remember the public service announcement video titled “This Is Your Brain on Drugs?” This ad series, like others in the 1980s, begins with a man holding an egg […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Spirituality of Loneliness in Life’s Second Chapter
“Quite simply, human relationship is as essential to our well-being as food and water.” –former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Within the global pandemic of Covid-19 lies another deadly yet often […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Mental Health and Race: Barriers, Ideas, and Sacred Work (Part I)
“Racism is a mental health issue because racism causes trauma”- Mental Health America. This is a strong statement that requires deep consideration. Racism, mental health concerns, and trauma are infused. […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Re-imagining Health Ministries During COVID: How to keep Health Ministries Engaged
At our houses of worship, things have looked different for a while. Many faith communities and their health ministries have mobilized in unprecedented ways to keep their communities healthy and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
High Country UCC
High Country United Church of Christ (UCC), located in the beautiful western region of North Carolina, has been a member of the PHW Collaborative for about two years now. The […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Getting Real About Poverty and the Environment
By Kathy Whitaker Knight So first, let’s get literal with this … environment is synonymous with surroundings, location, atmosphere, situation. Poverty is synonymous with shortage, deficiency, scarcity, and lack. What […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
COVID-19 Spotlights
Partners in Health and Wholeness is proud to partner with faith communities that are committed to promoting faith, health, and justice. The congregations in our Collaborative network are what make […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Caring for Elderly Loved Ones During COVID-19
As the daughter of parents who are deep into their eighties, these past four months have been particularly worrisome since Covid-19 reshaped all our lives into unknown territory. And, as of […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
World Hepatitis Day: Finding the Missing Millions
July 28th is World Hepatitis Day, and this year’s theme is designed to raise awareness and encourage action in finding the estimated 290 million people who are unaware they have […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: Free COVID-19 Testing
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election: A Reflection Guide for Faith Communities
Download The Guide & Share This Link To Triple The Vote! —> bit.ly/NCvaluesvoter The 2020 elections could not be more significant. The outcome will set the course on climate change […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
A Win for the People and Planet: Atlantic Coast Pipeline Cancelled!
We prayed and we organized. We amplified the voices of directly impacted communities and we met with elected officials and high-level decision-makers. We held press conferences and wrote letters. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Joint Letter from N.C. Faith Leaders to N.C. Elected Leaders
The leaders of the denominational members of the North Carolina Council of Churches have sent a joint letter to senior elected leaders, Governor Cooper, Representative Moore, and Senator Berger, outlining […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
St. Stephen Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ
St. Stephen Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ is located in Trenton, NC in the heart of Eastern North Carolina. They have been a member of the PHW Collaborative for […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
St. Paul Presbyterian Church
St. Paul Presbyterian Church is located in Louisburg, NC in Central North Carolina. They have made healthy eating central to their ministry through the initiative “A Blessing Soup Kitchen,” serving nutritious […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Oasis of Hope Ministries
Oasis of Hope Ministries is located in Henderson, NC in Central North Carolina. Oasis of Hope Ministries has been centering faith, health, and well-being in their ministry for almost 4 […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Haywood Street UMC
Haywood Street UMC has been a member of the PHW Collaborative since 2018. They have always been an anchor of support in their community through ministering with the unsheltered population of Asheville, serving […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Articles on Racial Justice and Climate Change
****** We believe we cannot address climate change without also addressing racial injustice. To learn more about their intersection and why addressing both is needed read: I’m a Black […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Sacred Spaces
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 […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Response to Systemic Racism
Featured image from Jamar Lanham at a protest in Raleigh, NC during the weekend of May 30-31, 2020. #Lanhamphotography Posted on June 3, 2020 NCIPL envisions a stable climate where […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
As of this morning, Thursday, June 4, the Raleigh News & Observer reported that Covid-19 has claimed the lives of 999 North Carolinians. We, the staff of Partners in Health […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Cherishing the Elderly Among Us
May is Mother’s Day. It is high school and college graduations, Memorial Day weekend barbecues and beach trips , and the anticipation of summer’s more languid pace. May is also […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Statement on Staying Home
Approved by the Executive Committee of the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council on April 23, 2020. The North Carolina Council of Churches supports the Governor of N.C. and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL Earth Day Events 2020
Earth Day Events Although many of our faith traditions throughout history have held sacred the fact that life is a gift and that our planet which nurtures and sustains life is […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Holy Breaths: Our Health Tips in Response to COVID-19
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 […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Virus Threat’s Harsh Light
The rapidly unfolding global coronavirus crisis can’t help but get us thinking in a familiar vein: woulda, coulda and shoulda. In the United States, if federal authorities hadn’t been hamstrung […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Courage & Compassion in the Time of Coronavirus
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 […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Cherish Your Heart
When I was a kid my friends and I would sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, go very still and say, with great solemnity: “I’m serious as a heart […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL Radio Ad Press Release
February 27, 2020 Contact: Susannah Tuttle, Director – NC Interfaith Power & Light susannah@ncipl.org 919-612-5526 NC INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN CALLING ON ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT A 100% CLEAN […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Reflections on the 2019 Eastern Faith and Health Summit
The Partners in Health and Wholeness Eastern NC Summit, titled “Mindful Together: Our Health Connects Us to Each Other and God” was more than an event. It was a gathering […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Thank You NC 100 Mile Challenge Churches: You Inspire Us!
5 years old to 90 years old 36 congregations (known) 50,000 miles and counting parks/neighborhoods/rivers/labyrinths prayer, work, meditation mind/body/spirit Baptist/ Nondenominational/Episcopa-lian, Methodist/Islamic mental health workshops/blood pressure kits/treadmills/fitness workshops/gardens Two years […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Op-Ed: When it comes to climate change, farmworkers reap what we sow
Op-Ed written by Michelle Peedin, NCIPL Youth Leaders Coordinator, published in the Winston-Salem Journal. Click here to access the article on their site. With the crispness of the fall season […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spotlight: St. Stephen Church of Christ
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: Woodleaf United Methodist Church
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2020 Open Enrollment: What You Need to Know
The period to enroll or renew health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) began on November 1st. Enrolling in a health insurance plan during this period will provide […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
November is National Caregivers Month
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, in 2015, approximately 43.5 million caregivers provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last twelve months. That’s a […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Reflecting on the Climate Strike
On Friday, September 20, 2019 NC Interfaith Power and Light participated in the biggest climate strike in North Carolina history. Raleigh’s event was only one strike in the hundreds that […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
New Hope AME Zion Church
“New Hope AME Zion Church Health and Wellness Ministry held a Back to School Celebration at Skateland USA in Clemons NC. This was a great way to bring our children […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Join NCIPL in Striking for the Climate
On September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, NC Interfaith Power and Light is joining young climate leaders and adult allies striking all across the US […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Press Release: Porch Party for the Planet
MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Matt Duffy | (415) 370-3997 | duffy@campsightstrategies.com ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS THROW DAY PARTY to help Dorian victims, urge Tillis and Burr to #ActOnClimate WHAT: PORCH PARTY for OUR […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spotlight: Seaside United Methodist Church
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
SPOTLIGHT: University City United Methodist Church
University City United Methodist Church in Charlotte has been busy over the past few months. Inspired by a study of the text Welcome to Dinner, Church by Verlon Fosner, members of the congregation began […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Postcard Campaign: Calling on Senator Tillis to take climate action and protect kid’s health
On September 6th, NCIPL will deliver postcards to Senator Thom Tillis’ Raleigh office asking that he take action on climate change to protect the health of communities in North Carolina. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Meet NCIPL Intern Daniel Perrin, Youth Leader
Daniel Perrin has been interning with North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light this summer. He describes below what led him to this work and how he got connected to NCIPL. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Benefit Concert: One Cello, One Planet – Raleigh
Join us for One Cello, One Planet, a concert that raises awareness for creation care action. Proceeds go to support the work of the Creation Care Alliance, North Carolina Power […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
First Baptist Church of East Winston-Salem
February is designated as American Heart Month. During this time, everyone is encouraged to wear red to bring awareness to heart disease and stroke. First Baptist Church of East Winston-Salem […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Emmanuel AME Church
Emmanuel AME Church in Durham, NC is connecting mind, body, and spirit through the work of their health commission. Chairperson and health-lead Shirley L. Smith describes in more detail how […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Podcast
Listen on Spotify Here! Joining hosts Dayna Reggero and Marilyn Ball this month on “Speaking of Travel + Climate Listening Project Podcast” is Nakisa “Sista Sol” Glover of Sol Nation […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Experience NC in the NC 100-mile Challenge
What is the NC 100-mile challenge? It’s an initiative launched by North Carolina State Parks to encourage everyone to get outside and explore our trails and waterways. North Carolinians can […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Raleigh Report – February 12, 2019
The 2019 Long Session of the General Assembly is now in full swing. As a result of last November’s elections, Republicans maintained majorities in both Senate and House but lost […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL hosts webinar on NC’s Clean Energy Plan
On January 16th, 2019 NC Interfaith Power & Light partnered with NC Governor Cooper’s office to offer a free webinar on Executive Order No. 80, North Carolina’s Commitment to Address […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Supporting NCIPL in this Season of Giving ~*~
Faithful Friends, BLESSINGS UPON ALL OF YOU who not only understand that climate change is very real… but are also contributing your time, talent, and treasures to help make a […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
A Solution for Depleted Soils & Souls
Last Saturday, NCIPL Director Susannah Tuttle and I had the opportunity to attend a conference entitled “Waste Not: Living the Low Carbon Life” in Raleigh. Leaders in the industries of food […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Going Green During The Holidays
The food that we consume as a part of the holiday season impacts the health of our climate and our communities. For this reason, we at NCIPL would like to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Going Green this Thanksgiving
The food that we consume as a part of the Thanksgiving holiday impacts the health of our climate and our communities. For this reason, we at NCIPL would like to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NEWS RELEASE: Eagle Solar & Light Becomes First Solar Energy Lessor in North Carolina
We hope this inspires communities of faith to take advantage of this opportunity to access solar panels without having to put any money down! RALEIGH, NC (October 16, 2018) — On […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spotlight: Shalom Community Christian Church
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Vetting the Vote: Medicaid Expansion
With every seat in the NC General Assembly being contested this year, the Nov 6, 2018 midterm will have effects lasting decades. Of the many issues at stake, recent polls […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Less is Not More with New Health Insurance Changes
The Trump Administration recently issued new rules regarding the length of short-term health insurance plans, temporary options available to individuals until they are able to enroll in the Affordable Care […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: St. Matthews Metropolitan AME Zion Church
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Improving the State of North Carolina
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees”~Isaiah 10:1 The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) just finished its 2018 short session without passing legislation that would […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: Real Life Ministries
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
1 Church/10 People/100 Miles/$1000
Have you noticed what happens when you step outside? Your breathing regulates, your mind clears, sometimes a solution to a thorny problem strikes in a eureka moment. The health benefits […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Council Welcomes Elizabeth Brewington to Partners in Health and Wholeness
The NC Council of Churches was recently awarded an eighteen-month grant to promote compassionate solutions, based on health and human dignity, to the opioid crisis in North Carolina. This work […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: Bryson City UMC
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
May is Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month. This offers intentional opportunity to think proactively about mental health, its impact on our lives and communities, and create ways to destigmatize related issues. I […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: Faith and Victory Christian Church
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Perfect Gift for Mother’s Day
As Mother’s Day approaches, we honor, remember, and celebrate all of the strong women in our lives. Women have proven throughout history that they are the backbone of society. Eleanor […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Partners in Health and Wholeness Mini-Grant Cycle Now Open
The Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Summer Mini-Grant Cycle is now open. Mini-grants are a great way to support programs in your health ministry that engage church congregants and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
DEQ announces the creation of a Secretary’s Environmental Justice & Equity Board
This week North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality introduced members of the Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board during a ceremony in the agency’s Green Square Lobby. The scope […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Sustainability Goals Delay Duke University Plans for Power Plant
Duke University officials have announced the indefinite delay of plans to build a freestanding Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant and will instead focus its attention on expanding opportunities to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Children and a Healthy Start to Life: Understanding Stress and Trauma’s Impact
As I work with various communities, a returning issue I hear about is the first 2000 days of a person’s life. I first learned about this number, 2000, at the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Hospitable Planet Featured by United Methodist News Service
The United Methodist News Service posted to its website a comprehensive and complimentary article about Hospitable Planet: Faith, Action, and Climate Change. This resulted from the United Methodist Women selecting […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spotlight: Brown’s Chapel UMC
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Expands and Welcomes New Staff
The staff of the NC Council of Churches is delighted to welcome Josie Walker and Karen Richardson-Dunn to the Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) team. Josie Walker is the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Spotlight: St. John AME
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Apply Today for a PHW Mini-Grant
There are less than two weeks remaining to apply for a Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) Mini-Grant. Congregations that are members of the PHW Collaborative are able to request […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Severity of the Flu
This flu season is notably harsh and even deadly in some circumstances. According to North Carolina Health Officials, as of January 25, there have been 21 flu deaths in our […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NC Council of Churches Pipeline Position
Below is the letter Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches has delivered to Governor Roy Cooper, DEQ Secretary Michael Regan, and NC policy staff. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spotlight: Bethel Christian Assembly
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health, and justice. We partner with faith communities […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Tax Law Will Harm Environment
The final version of the tax bill, passed in late December, will now open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling while maintaining a 14% cut in […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Thank you for all your gifts!
Faithful Friends, BLESSINGS UPON ALL OF YOU who not only understand that climate change is very real… but are also contributing your time, talent, and treasures to help to make […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
An Important Reminder – Less than 5 Days Remain to Get Insurance through the Affordable Care Act
If you do not have insurance through an employer or other group plan, the Affordable Care Act continues to provide an option. Though battered, up to and including, appeals to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL Testifies at EPA Hearing on Clean Power Plan
Last week North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light spoke at the EPA public hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, on the proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan. EPA has proposed that […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Winding Down National Diabetes Month with Partners in Health and Wholeness
It isn’t too late to practice prevention. In North Carolina alone, an estimated 750,000 people have been diagnosed with diabetes. An additional 280,000 may have diabetes but are undiagnosed. Already […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Help us meet our matching grant!
As people of faith we have an increasingly important role to play in bringing together diverse voices to speak on behalf of those whose voices are not heard - the most vulnerable in our society, including children and future generations.
Join us by making a tax-deductible donation to NCIPL - every gift made will be matched up to $13,500. Please give today!
By Eco-Justice Connection
Reject the Tax Plan: Don’t Sacrifice Creation for Big Business
In order to deliver huge tax breaks to corporations and wealthy individuals, this package would slash tax credits for renewable energy, pull the plug on electric cars, and open the pristine Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Navigating the Health Insurance Marketplace
Open enrollment to sign up for or renew health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) began November 1 and ends December 15, 2017. The ACA Marketplace allows individuals to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Faith and Health Summit: Thank You
It has been a little over a week since our third PHW Faith and Health Summit, themed “Making Connections: We’re Worth It.” The day began with worship and a keynote […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The environmental crisis is not environmental. It is spiritual.
Behind all environmental problems that society faces, whatever time period one analyzes, wherever one can go and whatever one can do, there is going to be greed, envy, ambition, selfishness, […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Don’t let Trump Repeal and Replace our Clean Power Plan
After failing to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration now has its sights set on our Clean Power Plan. For this one, they won’t have to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Don’t let Trump Repeal and Replace our Clean Power Plan
After failing to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration now has its sights set on our Clean Power Plan. And for this one, they won’t have […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Faith and Health Summit Spotlight: Mental Health Workshops
Partners in Health and Wholeness invites you to join us in Greensboro on Friday, October 20, for our Faith and Health Summit. There will be excellent workshops on many relevant […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Join Us for the PHW Faith and Health Summit
On Thursday, October 19th Partners in Health and Wholeness will host our 2017 Faith and Health Summit. Thursday’s events include a community gardens and permaculture tour throughout the city of […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Suicide Awareness Prevention: Shalom Instead of Silence
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Our work at Partners in Health and Wholeness, and with the NC Council of Churches, begins with the hope to see all North Carolinians […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Affordable Care Act Today
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be one of the most divisive laws passed in the United States in recent history. After several failed attempts by Congress this year […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
What should the Peoples Climate Movement do next?
It has been exactly three years since 400,000+ people came together in the streets of New York City for the first Peoples Climate March in 2014, and we’ve achieved a […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Praying in Opposition to Fracked Gas Pipelines
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline met more opposition last week. This time in the form of a prayer gathering by faith leaders outside the Department of Environmental Quality office. DEQ and […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Partners in Health and Wholeness Announces Photography Contest
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and we want to hear what you have to say. The theme of this year’s PHW Faith and Health Summit is, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Thankful and Ever Vigilant When it Comes to Health Care
We find ourselves in a better place than we might have been when it comes to health care policy. Remaining ever vigilant and recognizing that there is still much work […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
What the Senate’s Motion to Proceed Vote Means for Health Care
The U.S. Senate’s vote this afternoon moves the debate forward to potentially repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. What that will look like is anybody’s guess. Senators Burr and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Toxic Atlantic Coast Pipeline Advances
One of the final remaining hurdles for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, was cleared Friday after FERC released a positive Environmental Impact Statement. The pipeline, […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
July 25 Update — Senate Health Care Vote Appears Likely Today
It appears that the U.S. Senate will vote today on some sort of health care action. What they’ll be voting on, however, is unclear even to some of them. This […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Wood Pellet Plant Would Be Environmental Injustice
More than 10,000 individuals and 50 organizations have signed a petition asking Governor Cooper to revoke the world’s largest wood pellet manufacturer’s flawed air quality permit in Richmond County. At […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Governor Cooper Opposes Offshore Oil Drilling
Governor Roy Cooper has announced his strong opposition to offshore drilling and seismic blasting along North Carolina’s coast. “Our coast is part of our identity,” he said, speaking to the press […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Senate May Still Vote on Health Care; Please Keep Calling
No one seems completely clear on whether the Senate will vote next week on health care or what they will vote on if they do. That might be deliberate in […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Big Biomass is a Moral Injustice – Stop Enviva
Over 10,000 individuals and 50 organizations, representing millions of people, supporting communities, public health, climate and forests asked Governor Cooper to revoke the world’s largest wood pellet manufacturer’s flawed air […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Church of the Nativity, Raleigh Awarded $10,000 Grant
The Episcopal Church recently announced the awarding of 16 grants totaling $123,910 in the second round of grantmaking managed by the Advisory Council for the Stewardship of Creation and approved […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Revised Health Care Bill, Same Devastating Effects
Yesterday, the Senate unveiled a revised version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act. According to a report from our friends at the North Carolina Justice Center the changes, and their […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Rising Up with Richmond County
“Biomass” may sound like a clean idea, but it actually means cutting down and turning trees into fuel pellets to be burned for energy — creating more carbon pollution than […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Doomed Veto Spotlights Budget Flaws
Presented with a new state budget that, whatever its occasional virtues, is mainly about easing tax burdens on the well-off while grinding opponents of legislative Republicans into the dirt, Democratic […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
More wind energy, not less please!
It is becoming a national trend for politicians to “divide and conquer” by attacking the wind industry while supporting other forms of clean energy. This is fracturing the renewable energy community as folks […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
With Prescription Medication, Verify Before You Buy
Would you be Surprised to know 97 percent of online pharmacies are illegitimate? The North Carolina Council of Churches has joined with Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and the Secretary […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Health Care CBO Score Proves Potential Harm
Late yesterday afternoon the Congressional Budget Office released their score of the Senate’s proposed health care plan and the numbers are extremely troubling. As our friends at the North Carolina […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Rising Up With Richmond County
“Biomass” may sound like a clean idea, but it actually means cutting down and turning trees into fuel pellets to be burned for energy — creating more carbon pollution than […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Senate Health Care Plan Released: Would Make the Most Vulnerable More So
Members of the United States Senate have released their proposed health care plan, all 142 pages of the “Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017” developed in secrecy, with a score […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Budget with Old Agenda Falls Short
By now the strategy is familiar – the strategy used by the N.C. General Assembly’s Republican chiefs to try to make a fundamentally flawed state budget appear, well, not that […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Senate Health Care Plan — Let’s Keep Calling
As the Senate continues its secret deliberations on a health care plan that will effect all Americans, the potential impact on one of the most vulnerable groups in our society […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Thursday, June 15 — NC Health Care Call-in Day
The Council’s commitment to health care as a basic justice issue dates back decades. Significant progress toward health care for all was made with the Affordable Care Act, progress toward […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Now what? Staying Engaged and Grow the Interfaith Climate Movement
We were already living in a time of profound consequence. President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement means that while the needs of our endangered climate are increasing, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Now what? Stay engaged and grow the movement
Trump announced he is pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement. We are living in a time of profound consequence, with the needs of our endangered climate increasing […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Gun Bill Advances in GA; National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 2
Consider the shame of the North Carolina General Assembly working to rush through a bill that weakens gun laws as National Gun Violence Awareness Day approaches. It is right up […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Faith in Solar
Every faith tradition has a mandate within sacred texts to care for creation. Clean, renewable, solar energy is a critical component of creation care in the 21st Century. On April […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Heal the Sick
For more than two decades, the NC Council of Churches has called for access to health care for all. The score from the Congressional Budget Office makes it undeniably clear […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2018 Budget Proposal is the Antithesis of our Call
Plenty of analysis is already happening around the 2018 budget proposal out of the White House. The Washington Post provides two helpful graphics here and here. More is being written […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Budget’s Big Picture: A Crumbling Core
So, the question as always comes down to one of vision. The elected chieftains who decide how much money North Carolina’s state government will spend, what it will be spent […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Apply for PHW Collaborative by May 31 to be Eligible for June Mini-Grant
The next Partners in Health and Wholeness Mini-grant Cycle will begin June 5. Interested congregations must apply to join the PHW Collaborative (previously PHW Certification) by May 31 to be […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Raleigh Report — May 10, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director [For more information on bills, including committee referrals and re-referrals, texts of bills, procedural histories, and recorded votes, go to the General Assembly website […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The People’s Climate March
Multi-faith pilgrims on a moral high road unifed to honor God’s creation at the Peoples Climate March on the National Mall, April 29. The event drew 200,000 people from every […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
House Passage of AHCA — We are Better Than This
The passage of the American Health Care Act by the House of Representatives reflects a political choice on a life-or-death matter. If House members truly believed that this was the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Raleigh Report — April 26, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director [The deadlines for the introduction of most new bills have now passed, and we are in Crossover Week. By the end of the week, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Efforts to Cut Health Care Continue in Congress
The public is opposed to efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act, but some members of the U.S. House of Representatives seem determined to forge ahead anyway. The latest version […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Earth Day, Science March, Creation Care
This year on Earth Day, thousands will gather in Washington, D.C., and in cities across the country to march for science and protect the deeply held value for truth and […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Raleigh Report — April 21, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director [For the latest committee referrals and re-referrals, go to the General Assembly website www.ncleg.net. There you can also find the texts of bills, procedural […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Congress is on Recess but You Can Still Take Action
Congressional leaders are still in their home states for their spring recess, but your voices are still important. Please attend town halls held by our elected leaders, and please request […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Raleigh Report — April 17, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXES H 540, Teachers & State Employees Pay Raise, would give annual raises of $2,400 to teachers and other […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Push for Broader Medicaid, Better Health
North Carolina’s failure under Republican leadership to improve low-income residents’ access to health care via the Medicaid program has been like a persistent, throbbing pain in the state’s civic and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Two Successful Days of Advocating with Compassion
During this era of dissatisfaction with our federal government, it is important now more than ever for people of faith to engage with our own state government. With so many […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Raleigh Report — April 10, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Bills are being introduced at a rapid pace as the Senate’s deadline for new bills has passed and the House’s deadline on non-money approaches. […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Work for Just and Equitable Health Care is Not Finished
Every state legislator should be required to listen to the stories shared at a press conference organized this week by North Carolina advocates for health care. Anyone opposed to Medicaid […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day
Thursday, April 6, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. NC General Assembly 16 West Jones Street, Raleigh Join NC Interfaith Power & Light’s lay and faith leader network for our Advocating with […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Speak Out Against Anti-Climate Executive Order
This week, Donald Trump issued an executive order to turn back the clock on the climate progress we have made over the past decade. In addition to directing the EPA to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Speak out against anti-climate executive order
This week, Donald Trump issued an executive order to turn back the clock on the climate progress we have made over the past decade. Tell him you oppose his actions!
By Eco-Justice Connection
UPDATE: Trumpcare Just Got Worse — Call Before Today’s Vote
Thank you for every call, email, and letter to Congressional leaders that led to today’s decision to pull the American Health Care Act without a vote. Those committed to a […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
If a Budget is a Moral Document, Then What Does this One Preach?
The budget blueprint for 2018 released by President Trump on Thursday cuts a wide swath through programs that serve women, people of color, those of low income (for poor women […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Raleigh Report — March 13, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE H 233, Ban the Box, would govern how state and local governments could use criminal histories in […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Who Would Choose to be Poor or Sick?
Around the release of the alt-health plan currently making its way through Congress, several elected leaders have gone where elected leaders sometimes go – blaming the poor for being poor. […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Taking Away Health Care
Despite evidence that the Affordable Care Act is more popular and more needed than ever, some Republicans in Congress have proceeded with partisan plans to repeal Obamacare while dismantling Medicaid […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2017 Legislative Seminar: Advocate in NC as well as DC
The political situation at the national level has occupied the time and attention of many faithful progressives. Each day has brought with it more reasons to be concerned for our […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Introducing the Partners in Health and Wholeness Collaborative
We are pleased to introduce the PHW Collaborative. Mostly, it is a change in the name, so if your congregation has been a part of the Partners in Health and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Launches Collaborative; Certify for 2017
We are pleased to introduce the PHW Collaborative. Mostly, it is a change in the name, so if your congregation has been a part of the Partners in Health and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Raleigh Report — February 28, 2017
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills ENVIRONMENTAL CARE H 171, Change Exclusion for Solar Energy Systems. Current law provides an 80% exclusion from property taxation for the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Community United Church of Christ – A Cool Congregation 2016 Winner!
Community United Church of Christ in Raleigh is one of three Cool Congregation 2016 winners! The Cool Congregations program, through national Interfaith Power & Light, is designed to support faith […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Sol Train Connects Climate and Faith with Solar Power
Many people want to take meaningful action on climate change, but don’t know where to start. Taking a big step, like switching to solar, doesn’t have to be hard. Any […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
PHW is Expanding
Partners in Health and Wholeness is hiring for two new regional coordinators, one to serve in the Charlotte area and the other in the Wilmington area. Both positions are open […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Welcome Andrew and Michelle!
The Council has added two new staffers in recent months. Andrew Hudgins is our Program Associate for Operations, and Michelle Peedin is our Program Associate for North Carolina Interfaith Power […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Stephen Jurovics New Book: Hospitable Planet
It is with much celebration and support that the NC Council of Churches would like to share the success of Stephen Jurovics on his book “Hospitable Planet: Faith, Action, and […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Ethical Debates on Industrial Agriculture
An ethical debate is a bit of a juxtaposition. As we know ethics are a set of moral principles. It is how we understand right from wrong. So how can […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Pipelines of Solidarity
Last week President Trump signed executive actions to advance the construction of the Keystone, Dakota Access, and Atlantic Coast Pipelines. In the face of clear scientific consensus that our dependence […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Getting Back to Our Normal: Some Suggestions for the Long Haul
Our friend Rob Schofield over at Policy Watch wrote a column on Tuesday that was as vitally important in its truth-telling as it was hard to read for the future […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The ACA Remains in Place; 2017 Open Enrollment ends January 31
The Affordable Care Act is still in place for 2017, and as our friends at the NC Justice Center remind us, nothing has changed for this year. Plans, prices, deadlines, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Let’s Keep Marching
At another time in my life, I would not have spent most of Saturday occupying my tiny square of personal space in the heart of Washington DC, literally shoulder to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Medicaid Push: Cooper’s Strong Start
For many of us, these are troubling times as Donald Trump ascends to the nation’s highest office. We can hope for the best but it’s hard not to anticipate the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Healthy Churches 2020 National Conference
Pizazz. Laughter. Friends. Singing. These words describe the Healthy Churches 2020 National Conference. But, did you know that a faith and health national conference even exists? Healthy Churches 2020 held […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Pope Francis Advocates for Breastfeeding in Worship
In the past Partners in Health and Wholeness had a program dedicated to helping worshipping communities promote breastfeeding and support breastfeeding mothers. This week, the most prominent religious leader in the world, the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Speak Out on Cabinet Nominees
Groups at the state and national level continue to mobilize around concerns about President-Elect Donald Trump’s stated policy objectives and choices for cabinet posts. The NC NAACP, Interfaith Power & […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Update: Save Our Health Care Rallies Statewide on January 15
On Friday, the House of Representatives voted to continue the process that could ultimately repeal the Affordable Care Act. Activists across the nation were already planning Day of Action events […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Mini-Grants Now Open
We are excited to announce that we are now accepting mini-grant applications. Congregations who were certified in 2016 (and have not already received a grant from the last cycle) are […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Partners in Health and Wholeness Grant Cycle Opens January 6
PHW-certified congregations across North Carolina are eligible to apply for a mini-grant to assist in furthering their commitment to health and wholeness. Mini-grant application periods are open twice a year; […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Two PHW Regional Coordinators Recognized
Two of the Partners in Health and Wholeness program’s regional coordinators have been honored recently. Joy Williams has been named a 2017 Rural Health Fellow by the National Rural Health […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Job Opening: Program Associate for PHW and NCIPL
The Council is hiring a full-time program associate to support Partners in Health and Wholeness and North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light. The full job description is posted below and […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Rural Oasis: Conetoe Family Life Center
The amount of grassroots, efficient, and sustainable Kingdom work happening in North Carolina is astounding. People across our state are working together in various communities to promote health and wholeness. […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Council Welcomes Your End-of-Year Gift
Looking ahead to 2017, there is much more work for the Council to do than we ever imagined. Please join us. Your financial support helps us continue what began in […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Support North Carolina’s Faithful Voice for Justice, Unity, and Peace
We are living in unsettling times. Progress we once thought inviolable now feels threatened. One constant is the NC Council of Churches and our commitment to a more just, united, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Join in the Support of Belhaven’s Pungo Hospital
Community leaders continue to work endlessly to save the Pungo Hospital in Belhaven. Please join clergy and those concerned for justice this Wednesday, December 21, 10 a.m., at the Wake […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
First 100 Days – Showing How Much We Care
Now, more than ever, we need you to put your faith into action. On January 20th, we inaugurate a new president and begin four years of a new administration. The […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Community Contributes to Our Wholeness
Partners in Health and Wholeness ambitiously endeavors to work for and toward issues of mind, body, and spirit with faith communities. The words ‘health’ and ‘wholeness’ are truly huge words, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Power to the Peaceful
Dear NCIPL Leaders, Supporters, & Friends, I wanted to personally reach out to each and every one of you today, to let you know that I am grateful for our […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NC Family Featured in Video on Need for Medicaid Expansion
By Nina Voli, Duke Divinity School Intern Although the Affordable Care Act expanded health care coverage to millions of Americans, the Supreme Court ruled that state enrollment in Medicaid expansion was optional. […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
At Campaign Trail’s End, Voters Rule
As the 2016 campaign season grinds along the final stretch toward Election Day on Nov. 8 – and with thousands of North Carolinians already having cast their ballots – we […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Certification Deadline Extended to November 15
The Partners in Health and Wholeness program originally had an October 31 deadline for our 2016 certification applications. However, due to the severity of Hurricane Matthew, we are extending our […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
2016 PHW Certifications Close on October 31 — Apply to be Considered for January Mini-Grants
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) offers an annual certification program to congregations across the state. Churches participating in PHW actively demonstrate their commitment to improving their health as well […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Climate Conference Attendees Range from Duke Energy to NAACP
The young man who sat next to me during a workshop on equity at the Carolinas Climate Resiliency Conference which took place in Charlotte earlier this month was a meteorologist […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Inclusive Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building
The impacts of climate variability and change affect everyone, but they disproportionately affect socially vulnerable populations, as they are the ones with the least resources to prepare and recover from […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Concord UMC: Planting Seeds and Watching Hearts Grow
By Kaitlyn Brodar, PHW Intern As the health lead for Concord UMC in Graham, NC, Donna Poe spends most of her time in the garden. Even as we were talking, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Health, Wholeness, and Climate Change?
“Partners in Health and Wholeness, an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches, is designed to bridge issues of faith, health and social justice.” These are the words that […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Take Part in Food Waste Weekend
Here in the US, more than 30% of all food is wasted. In a world with so many hungry people, that’s a terrible shame. Sadly, it gets worse. Wasted food […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
PHW Success Story- Corinth AME Zion, Siler City
By Kaitlyn Brodar, PHW Intern I recently had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Norma Boone, the health lead at Corinth AME Zion Church in Siler City, NC. The church […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Pray for God’s Creation
Beginning September 1 people around the world are coming together to pray for God’s creation, and to observe the Season of Creation between that day and October 4 – the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. NC […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
“Woman of the Year”
We are thrilled to share that Penny J. Hopper has been awarded “Woman of the Year” by the League of Women Voters of Carteret County, NC. Penny joined NC Interfaith […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
PHW Success Story- St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Durham
By Kaitlyn Brodar, PHW Intern St. Philip’s Episcopal Church is a gold-level PHW congregation in Durham, North Carolina. While the health ministry team and pastors have promoted health in a […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Success Story- Soul Harvest Apostolic Church, Spring Lake
By Kaitlyn Brodar, PHW Intern The Soul Harvest Apostolic Church is a gold-level PHW congregation that has been certified since 2012 and is firmly committed to healthy eating. They have […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
August is National Breastfeeding Month
Did you know that August is National Breastfeeding Month and that this week is World Breastfeeding Week? Breastfeeding has some important health implications for both mom and baby. It also […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Summer is a great time to be emPOWERed!
Energy usage is soaring in NC as we all try and stay cool during the long days of heat & humidity this summer. It’s a great time to highlight an […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Untapped Resources: A Treasure for One Congregation and Their Community
July 16, 2016 is the 2-month mark since Regional Coordinator for Western North Carolina became my full time position with the NCCC’s Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative. This is significant […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Gun Violence and Public Health
New York City’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, recently published a blog on the Huffington Post about Gun Violence as a public health issue. It is essential that we pay […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Health Insurance for All Means Healthier Children
All children deserve to have a strong start in life and the chance to become a happy, healthy, productive adults. Infant mortality rates, or the number of infants who die […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Eating Faithfully
What does it mean to eat faithfully? This is a deeply personal, yet essentially communal question that we often don’t take the time to consider. Delving into this question, however, […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Staff Members Join the Council
The Council gained two new staff members in May. Meet Nicole Johnson and Jessica Stokes below.
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
LIGHT UP – Reflections on the Summer Solstice
We don’t need a calendar to tell us that summer has arrived in North Carolina. The rocketing heat and steamy humidity are all the notice we require. The sun’s ascending […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Five Questions Answered on Medicaid Expansion
Why are health care premiums steadily going up? Gallup polls at the end of 2015 found that 74% of Americans say the amount they pay in premiums had gone up […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
A Reminder of Evelyn
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches The New York Times Sunday Magazine for May 15, 2016 – the annual health issue – focused entirely […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL Welcomes EDF Climate Corp Fellow
Hello! My name is Jennifer Cole and I am excited to be part of the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps program this summer, matched to work with North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light. I have just graduated with my Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke, and I have a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in energy and water sustainability. I will be starting my PhD in environmental psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the fall.
By Eco-Justice Connection
The Effort to Expand Medicaid in North Carolina Continues
As the General Assembly’s biennial short session continues, Medicaid expansion continues to be a hot issue for North Carolina. On May 25, concerned citizens gathered outside the General Assembly for Medicaid […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Reminder: Certify in May to Qualify for Mini-Grants in June
Certification in the Council’s Partners in Health and Wholeness program is up and running. Faith communities must certify by May 31 to be eligible for mini-grant opportunities in June. In 2016, mini-grant […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Community UCC Solar Project
Community UCC is a relatively small (about 120 active members) congregation located in Raleigh, NC, that has long had an active interest in environmental stewardship. We created our Justice in a Changing Climate initiative (JCC) in 2007, recognizing that climate change will affect those with the fewest resources more adversely and sooner than the rest of us.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Creating Healthier Food Pantries: Workshop and Lunch
Every congregation I have worked with has collected and donated food as a part of their mission and outreach. Feeding the hungry is an essential part of both the history […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL Advocacy Day at the NC General Assembly
On May 11th NCIPL hosted the 2nd Annual Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day. Members of faith communities from across the state met with representatives of the NC General […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
On this Earth Day 2016
On this Earth Day 2016, let us celebrate the fact that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has left out the mid-Atlantic region from its final draft proposal for new offshore oil leasing.
This was due in no small part to the grassroots activism by coastal communities from Delaware to Florida where town and county councils passed 110 Resolutions against offshore oil drilling!
By Eco-Justice Connection
121 Religious Communities Urge Congress to Support the Green Climate Fund
This week, NC Interfaith Power & Light joined 120 religious traditions and organizations across the nation representing tens of millions of Americans, asked Congress to appropriate $750 million for GCF for Fiscal Year 2017 based on the Administration’s request.
By Eco-Justice Connection
2016 Critical Issues Seminar — Register for Workshops
Registration for 2016 Critical Issues Seminar workshops is now available online. If you have not yet registered, please use the form below to do so and include your selection for […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Reform Medicaid by Expanding It
Remarks delivered on March 30 by Volunteer Program Associate Sandy Irving at the Raleigh public hearing on Medicaid reform. As Medicaid reform is being planned, please consider including Medicaid expansion […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
NCIPL is hosting Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, world-renowned climate scientist
NCIPL is hosting Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, world-renowned climate scientist and educator with a deep faith in God, the first week of April 2016.
We are honored to share information about the wonderful events planned with Dr. Hayhoe in Charlotte, Asheville, Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh!
By Eco-Justice Connection
State Medicaid Reform Could Be an Opportunity for Expansion
Several public hearings have been planned around the state over the next few months to receive public input on the new plan for Medicaid reform. The plan would move Medicaid, the state […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Obama Withdraws Plan for Atlantic Coast Offshore Drilling
No drilling off North Carolina’s coast… It’s time to celebrate! NCIPL recently presented a statement opposing offshore oil drilling unanimously approved by the NC Council of Churches Governing Board. As […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
The Path Toward Energy Justice: Creating a Climate for Change
Infographic by Tracy Loeffelholz Dunn / The Nation. Shutterstock images from Lorelyn Medina, Agusto Cabral The Clean Power Plan, and transitioning to a clean energy economy more broadly, are creating […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Medicaid Expansion Benefits Everyone in NC
There is little dispute that Medicaid expansion stands to benefit more than 400,000 uninsured North Carolinians who currently fall in the coverage gap. What is more often disputed is the […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Farmworkers and the ACA
The deadline for enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace came and went at the end of January. Though the ACA open enrollment period has passed, those experiencing certain life events – […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Clean Energy Can Help Tackle Rural Poverty
By MICHAEL REGAN | Published: FEBRUARY 22, 2016 Growing up in eastern North Carolina was a great experience. Wayne County was my home, and I spent many weekends fishing for bass and hunting quail […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
“None of These Diseases” – Faith, Justice, and God’s Desire for Healthy Community
By Brian Hollingsworth, Partners in Health and Wholeness Intern, Wake Forest University School of Divinity …When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The ACA and the Latino Community: Challenges and Successes
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. This law put in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that helped to make health care more affordable and accessible […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Staff Members Join the Council
The Council gained two new staff members in January. Meet Liz Millar and Chris Pernell below.
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
New Medicaid Expansion Effort Launches — Presentations and Petition Available
Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane. –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a speech to the Medical Committee for Human […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Health Care for Legal Immigrants: Resources and Events
To see this message in Spanish click here. Para ver este mensaje en español haga un clic aquí). At the North Carolina Council of Churches, we believe that access to […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Wake Divinity School Grooms Young Leaders With Soil
I have the pleasure of continuing to work with Fred Bahnson, director of the Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative at the Wake Forest University Divinity School. Partners in Health […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
The State of Our Union & Climate Justice
Were you watching? This week President Obama gave his final State of the Union speech. He touted the success of the Paris conference in bringing 195 countries together to agree […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Strive to Revive Maintenance Grants
By Nicole Johnson, Strive to Revive Assistant The Strive to Revive (STR) Maintenance Grant Program is now open. This program is focused on providing resources, technical support, and financial assistance to congregations […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Partnerships that Work: Linda Tyndall
Sister Linda Tyndall has been a beautiful champion for health and faith outreach in Lumberton. Without her, I would not have known how to reach so many people in such a […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Pre-Diabetic?
I just found out that I was pre-diabetic. This has never shown up in my blood draws before and I was stunned. “Really?” I say laughing, not sure how exactly […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Kneading Bread Over the Holidays
Waking up at 4:30 in the morning, oven alerting the baker to the first batch of fresh bread coming out of the oven — that is what I most remember […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Announcing Strive to Revive Maintenance Grants
By Nicole Johnson, Strive to Revive Assistant The Council is excited to announce our upcoming Strive to Revive Maintenance Grant Program. This program is focused on providing resources, financial assistance, and technical […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
We’re Hiring: PHW Regional Coordinators in Western and Eastern NC
The Council is hiring two full-time Partners in Health and Wholeness Regional Coordinators, one to serve in Western North Carolina and one to serve in Eastern North Carolina. Each will serve […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Congregations Provide Great Feedback for PHW Certification Improvements
A big thank you to the 33 congregational participants in the PHW Certification Survey. Valuable feedback and suggestions were offered to better ensure that we are able to provide congregations with a certification program […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
PHW Intern Reflections
By Brian Hollingsworth, PHW Intern, Wake Forest University School of Divinity A few years ago, my faith needed a breath of new life. Despite having grown up in church, being […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville
UUFH Celebrates Its Commitment to Renewable Energy The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville (UUFH) is celebrating the installation of a 40-panel solar array on its sanctuary roof. This installation is […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
CNN Honors Rev. Richard Joyner of Conetoe Family Life Center
The garden at Conetoe Family Life Center in Conetoe, NC is more than just about growing food; it’s about changing mindsets, bodies, and redefining food equity power structures. In response […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
Learning to Grieve, Part 2
Grieving is a healthy response to life’s brokenness. When we grieve we allow our emotions to catch up with our minds. It allows us to think more clearly, make better […]
By Partners in Health & Wholeness
United Church of Chapel Hill Solar Project
Our Solar Journey at United Church of Chapel Hill On November 6, 2015, the latest photovoltaic array on a North Carolina house of worship went online. The 84.76 kW, 326 […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S.
For faith-based environmental activists, Pope Francis’s visit to the United States had a major effect even before he set foot on American soil. Now they hope his trip’s influence on […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Muslim American Society of Charlotte Announces First Major Solar Installation at a Mosque in NC
This week the Muslim American Society (MAS) of Charlotte is launching a program to install solar panels on the homes of 40 congregants and their mosque in east Charlotte. The […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Congregations need NC’s solar tax credits extended
Every faith tradition mandates care of creation and the moral call to address the issues and impacts of our changing climate. If we fail to address the most significant environmental […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NCIPL supports the Clean Power Plan
New federal safeguards to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants are necessary not just because they help the environment, but because they are the right and moral thing to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
EPA Takes Moral Action to Cut Carbon Pollution from Power Plants
The EPA is acting on our moral obligation to address unlimited carbon pollution coming from the nation’s power plants, the single largest source of global warming pollution in the country.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Duke Divinity Student Reflects On The Encyclical
“Pope Francis almost makes me want to convert to Catholicism.” This is the sentiment generally expressed by many of my colleagues at Duke Divinity School. Many of us who are not […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Vatican Call to Action
The Vatican has officially released the Papal encyclical on the environment: “Praised Be: On the Care of Our Common Home” (Laudato Si’).
By Eco-Justice Connection
Solar Benefits – LTE in News & Observer – June 6, 2015
Gary Smith is a member of Community United Church of Christ, Raleigh and serves as Chair of NCIPL’s Energy Working Group. Read the LTE on News&Observer Online here.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Hayesville, NC wins national award for work at nexus of climate and poverty
Energy saving volunteers in North Carolina work at nexus of climate and poverty Community Inspiration Winner of IPL’s Cool Congregations Challenge Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Hayesville, North Carolina CO2 Reduction: […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
The Pope and Ecology: Shouts from the Highest Steeple
This post is from our friend Dave Grace, a dual degree masters candidate with Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Divinity School and creator of the Youth Faith Conservation Network, which will […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NC Faith Leaders Support Clean Energy
Faith Leaders printed in the News & Observer Rev. Dr. Leonard H. Bolick Rev. Jonathan Brake Rev. Jill Staton Bullard Rev. Robin P. Coira The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry Rev. Richard […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Passover & Climate Change: Continuity with the Future
By Joelle Novey, director of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA) “In every generation one must look upon herself as if she personally came out of Egypt.” On Pesach, we are told to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
We Are “Springing into Action”!
Though the week’s main events have passed, it’s not too late to be involved. Click here to join NCIPL’s virtual advocacy campaign and send a message to your representatives asking them to support clean energy […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NCIPL’s Advocating with Compassion Webinar with Environmental Defense Fund’s Greg Andeck
We have created a pre-advocacy day webinar covering logistics for Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day, how to talk to elected officials, and a briefing on clean energy policies. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
McCrory must lead effort away from coal
Op Ed in Citizen-Times by Jane Laping, interim coordinator of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, NCIPL’s western regional partner. As a Christian, I believe that creation is […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Spring Into Action with IPL Founder & President, Rev. Sally Bingham
NCIPL’s Inaugural Spring Into Action Celebration with Rev. Sally Bingham Tuesday, March 24, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh NCIPL’s […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Birds Can Make You Want to Take Action on Climate Change
By NCIPL Intern Rubaina Anjum When it comes to talking about climate change, NCIPL focuses on the positive and hopeful messages. We love to let everyone know of the excellent work […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Thoughts on Obama’s Veto of Keystone XL
By NCIPL Intern Reuben Gelblum Well, if you haven’t heard, Obama vetoed the Keystone XL bill Tuesday that he received from Congress, one of only three times he has used […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day March 25th
You are invited to join NCIPL and Interfaith Power & Light founder and President Rev. Sally Bingham on March 25th at the NC General Assembly in Raleigh for the Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Triangle Interfaith Alliance Public Statement
The history of humanity is stained by cycles of violence against other groups who differed from the prevailing cultural presence due to religion, complexion, sexual orientation, nationality, or political beliefs. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Preaching what we practice: Creation Care and Interfaith Climate Action in Charlotte, NC
Environmentalists and evangelists have more in common than one would think. Caring for our children and neighbors; expressing gratitude and appreciation for the blessings we have been given; ensuring that […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
WITN UPDATE: Gov. McCrory applauds Carolinas offshore drilling plan
From WITN Updated: Wed 11:42 PM, Jan 28, 2015 Watch the WITN 6 o’clock news Wednesday, January 28, 2015 recording: Penny Hooper, co-chair of NCIPL Executive Committee, and her husband, […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NCIPL Invites Faith Communities to join in the National PreachIn on Global Warming!
This may be the biggest PreachIn yet and you don’t want to miss it! Over 3,000 faith communities all over the US may preach or hold educational events on Valentine’s […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
LTE in News & Observer. Stephen Jurovics: Future concern
Letters to the Editor: January 7, 2015 The Jan. 1 Point of View “ Why N.C. should fight EPA” revealed utter indifference for the future of North Carolina. While the […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
JDNews.com article: Program looks at potential coastal impacts of fracking
By Jannette Pippin – Jannette.Pippin@JDNews.com Published: Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 3:29 PM MOREHEAD CITY | Lee County is considered the epicenter of any future fracking operations in North Carolina, […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
National Preach-In on the Environment
Get your Faith Community to Join in the “Preach In”! Environmental Stewardship Greensboro is helping to recruit as many Faith Communities as possible in the Triad to participate in the “National […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Climate change and the new NC DENR chief
More than 97 percent of the world’s climate scientists believe we humans are changing our climate for the worse. (That scientific consensus is as strong as the one that finds […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
PreachIn Map Test
North Carolina leads the nation in the number of congregations involved in the PreachIn which happens every spring. Click here to participate! [wpgeo_mashup post_type=”faith-community” engagement=”preachin”]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Clean Energy Works for US: Creation Care in North Carolina (Video)
NCIPL is proud to be featured alongside North Carolina clergy and congregations in this short video. It highlights churches who have installed solar on their houses of worship and thoughts […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Reflections from the People’s Climate March
Many IPL 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 was an exhilarating […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Energy Savings Analysis
An easy Energy Savings Analysis can save your faith community thousands of dollars while enhancing your care of creation.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of W-S
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem has a long and exciting set of goals, accomplishments, and challenges relating to its Green Sanctuary Program accreditation. We have a broad range of […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Fall Into Action with NCIPL
You are invited to join NCIPL over the coming months as we “Fall Into Action!” The NC General Assembly has adjourned but that means our work is just beginning! We […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
The People’s Climate March
The People’s Climate March is shaping up to be the largest movements of movements yet, bringing together people with the urgency and power needed to address the climate crisis. Are you going […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Hurricane Resilience: America Acts on Climate Part 2
The 2014 Hurricane Season launched with North Carolina’s coast as a direct target. We made it through ‘Arthur’ but have a whole alphabet of potential storms which to prepare for this […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Lake Chatuge GreenFaith Team (a NCIPL Regional Partner) to Launch Energy Saving Campaign
The Lake Chatuge GreenFaith Team, (LCGFT), a group of environmentally concerned churches from Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina, will be publishing environmental “tips” in local papers and radio outlets […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
#PutSolarOnIt – National Day of Action
On June 21, 2014, the longest day of the year, Interfaith Power & Light is joining a coalition of groups in coming together for a National Day of Action to show support for switching to clean energy, fighting climate change, and the power of bringing solar power to communities all across the country.
Contact info@ncipl.org for more information on how you and your congregation can be involved in the solar revolution!
By Eco-Justice Connection
#PutSolarOnIt – National Day of Action
On June 21, 2014, the longest day of the year, communities of faith from around the country will come together in a coalition of groups for a National Day of Action.
By Eco-Justice Connection
EPA Takes Moral Action to Cut Carbon Pollution from Power Plants
On June 2nd, 2014 the EPA acted on our moral obligation to address unlimited carbon pollution coming from the nation’s power plants, the single largest source of global warming pollution in the country.
The new standards will help usher in clean energy solutions like improved efficiency and solar power: things that NC Interfaith Power & Light congregations have been using in their facilities for years to reduce emissions and save money.
Emerging wind and solar companies have been in a David and Goliath struggle against the well-funded coal and gas industries.
By Eco-Justice Connection
We Drew a Line in the Sand
On Saturday, May 17, at noon, about 30 people gathered at the Atlantic Beach/Fort Macon Swimming Beach for the nation-wide “Hands Across the Sand Demonstration” to promote clean energy and […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
People got “Fired Up” Watching “Shored Up”
Penny Hooper, NCIPL Executive Committee. On Friday night, May 9, the movie “Shored Up” was shown at the Unitarian Coastal Fellowship in Morehead City to 40 people. Afterwards, we discussed what […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Tired of “preaching to the choir” or to “deaf ears”?
We believe you have something important to say. Many of the issues being decided on the political level nowadays are being considered primarily from their value to business and either […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Energy Saving Volunteers Receive Earth Day Grant
by Donna McAuliffe The 2014 BodySense Earth Day Grant was awarded to a local group committed to reducing energy consumption. An offshoot of Lake Chatuge Greenfaith Team, a NCIPL Regional […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
To All Who Love God’s Creation & Choose Hope for the Future
Easter Season for Christians is the time between Easter Sunday and Pentecost during which we find renewal in the promise of resurrection and reconciliation. It is also springtime for people […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Support Solar in NC!
Tell the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) you support net metering and solar power! Like rollover minutes on a cell phone bill, net metering gives renewable energy customers full credit on their utility bills for the excess clean power they deliver to the grid. This simple credit system is one of the most important state policies for empowering Americans to generate their own power from the sun.
By Eco-Justice Connection
We Can No Longer Sweep the Coal Ash Under the Rug
We need to let our legislators know that this is important to us.
By Eco-Justice Connection
SENATORS SPEAKING ALL NIGHT TO URGE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
From the office of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz: Washington, DC – Immediately following votes on the evening of Monday, March 10 until approximately 9 am ET Tuesday, March 11, Senators from the Senate […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Climate Activists Must Heed the Lessons of North Carolina
Joe Wainio begins his wonderful article on TruthOut, “Climate change activists should look to North Carolina for lessons on how to build a broad and diverse movement powerful enough to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Our NC “What do You Love Campaign” dovetails with the February Friends Committee for National Legislation’s call to conscience
“The seemingly simple action of communicating with your elected representative is powerful, vastly underrated, and accessible to all.” In October our executive director, Susannah Tuttle, was featured in the […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
New Publication: Climate Change Evidence and Causes
Climate Change Evidence & Causes Overview is a jointly produced publication of The US National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society. Written by a UK-US team of leading climate […]
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Lenten Reflection on Poverty and the Environment
We expect clean air and water to be plentiful. They are, after all, fundamental parts of God’s great creation. But the threats we pose to our planet and its resources are scientifically undeniable. We humans have proven to be careless in our treatment of the environment, frighteningly efficient in its destruction. And, as in so many cases, the burden for our actions falls disproportionately on the poor. The coal ash spill in the Dan River has drawn international attention in recent weeks. Coal has for years been burned at a Duke Energy power plant in Eden, and the residual ash had been dumped into a holding pond nearby. [...]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Watch this 3 minute animated graphic of increasing CO2 in the atmosphere!
Here is a 3 minute video of atmospheric carbon dioxide from 1979 until January, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA7tfz3k_9A National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) Global Monitoring Division […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
2014 National Preach-In on Climate Change
Download your free kit for the 2014 National Preach-In on Climate Change over Valentine’s weekend. From the comfort of your own congregation, you can join in spirit with thousands of religious leaders from […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Peppers Picked in Prayer
Climate Change Is Real… In Many Ways… In Different Places… At The Same Time… As We All Exist. Today I picked these peppers due to early freezing temperatures in North […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
THE SOLAR EVENT OF THE SEASON!
Hundreds of people came together at the Cleaner is Cheaper: Solar Panel event in Charlotte on Saturday, Nov 16th joined by many solar power companies from North Carolina as well […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Do Your Legislators Represent You or Not?
The 2013 legislative session exhibited an anti-regulatory agenda, endangering North Carolina’s natural beauty and our quality of life, including our health. Numerous bills were introduced that weakened pollution control, sought […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
In the face of economic crisis, how to make the world a better place
Start with what you love. Susannah Tuttle said that to me on Saturday, and it was perfect for the moment. I loved the bluegrass festival in Raleigh and the way it lifted our spirits. I broke away from the festival in the afternoon and strode up to the state government mall for the iMatter rally. I loved that too. The iMatter Youth NC March for Our Planet was led by Hallie Turner, 11, who dates her activism on climate change to a dinnertime conversation with her parents—and a subsequent visit to the library where she read Al Gore's book An Inconvenient Truth—at age 9. [...]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Common Sense for Our Time: Doing What is Ours to Do
Every day there are reminders on how we should appreciate our global home and then consider the many and easy ways we can protect it. Make no mistake, the jury […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Special Places and Sacred Pursuits
Sportsmen, sportswomen, and wildlife conservationists are not couch potatoes. We get outside. The ones that are as old as I am have seen many, many years of change. When you […]
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My History, My Journey, My Inspiration, My Children
There is a future I want for my children – and for all children – and for the children of all children. It is a future of abundance, diversity, beauty, […]
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A Special Energy Audit
United Church of Christ of Chapel Hill (UCC-CH) is my home church. My parents are committed members and, as a returning college grad, I feel excited about being part of […]
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Congregations and Coal: Faith & the Riverbend Coal Plant
Facing the coal plant, smoke stacks and power lines looming over the sign of this church, I thought of the position of communities of faith as they face the energy realities of the future.
By Eco-Justice Connection
The Heart of Our Work
EmPOWERed
Clean energy is the future. Click here for ways your congregation can participate.Sacred Foodscapes for All Creation
Make the food-faith-climate connection. Read more.Worship
Worship is at the heart of what you do. Click here for resources, models and collaborative campaigns.By Eco-Justice Connection
NCIPL Steering Committee Member Penny Hooper Speaks Out at Moral Monday
People may think that Moral Mondays are over now that the state legislature is no longer in session. That is not so. Starting in April, numbers of attendees have ranged […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Recent Poll Shows North Carolinians Want More Clean Energy
Most North Carolinians oppose fracking, favor clean energy and think current regulations are sufficient or should be stronger. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released the North Carolina poll results on […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Environmental Groups Push for Stronger EPA Regulation of Toxic Poisons from Coal-Fired Power Plants Routinely Dumped Into U.S. Waters
After 3 decades of delay, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to set long-overdue standards to limit the dumping of billions of pounds of toxic pollutants from coal-fired […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
2013 Walk for Our Grandchildren
This summer dedicated activists walked 100 miles from Camp David to Washington, DC. to ask President Obama and other policy makers to take strong action to keep the majority of […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
In the Shadows of Riverbend
Across the street, a small, unassuming, idyllic Catholic church faces the Duke Power Riverbend Coal Plant at the center of litigation and outrage in response to consistent pollution and lack […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
The Moral Journey from Independence to Interdependence
Reflections from Earth Sabbath Celebration facilitator, Nancy Hardy. I believe that ever since we humans started getting together and creating what we call “culture”, there have been several major paradigm […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
The National “I Will Act on Climate” Bus Tour is Coming Through North Carolina in the Next Few Days!
Climate change affects us all. As the President said in his climate change speech, “The question now is whether we will have the courage to act before it’s too late. […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
This Fourth of July, declare your energy independence from fossil fuels.
Enter IPL’s 2013 Cool Congregations Challenge. $1000 Grand Prize. $500 for first place and $250 for second place will be awarded for each of the following categories: Cool Congregations Planner […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
UCC First Church to Divest from Fossil Fuels
As a life-long member of the United Church of Christ (UCC), I feel so proud of my denomination’s actions on Monday when the national synod voted to divest from fossil […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
President’s Climate Action Plan Could Increase Air Quality and Business for NC
The president’s newly announced climate action plan calls for more funding for clean energy and limiting carbon emissions for new and existing power plants. This is good news for us […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
We Can No Longer in Good Conscience Remain Silent
The following is NCIPL Steering Committee Secretary Penny Hooper’s Letter to the Editor in response to President Obama’s climate change speech: President Obama’s speech at Georgetown University today was welcome […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Filmmaker Visits NCIPL
This month nationally renowned filmmaker, Rocky Kistner visited North Carolina to document features of NCIPL’s emPOWERed program. Film footage included an Energy Savings Analysis (energy audit) at College […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Reflection on Moral Monday
Participating in Moral Mondays impressed me with a sense of fraternity and hope in the face of policies and legislation that seem increasingly unjust and discriminatory, besides being detrimental to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
The President has shared his plan to respond to our moral obligation to leave a healthy and sustainable future for our children and grandchildren in response to the threat of climate change.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Hayesville
Written by Brad Rouse. I have been a member of Good Shepherd since 2007, and the Green Team has been one of our ministries since before that time. Having a […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Invitation to next week’s Moral Monday on the Environment, Justice, & Health
Dear Faithful Friends, This coming Monday, June 17th – “NC Moral Mondays” will be focused on Environmental, Justice, and Health issues as the central themes in a principled protest calling for […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
The Good News on Hurricanes
Last weekend was the official start of our 2013 Hurricane Season. As we make preparations for the season- both logistical, physical, and spiritual- I think that The Southern Alliance for […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
12,000+ Clean Energy/Clean Transportation Jobs Announced in 1st Quarter & Governor McCrory Declares June “Solar Energy Month”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress contact: Bob Keefe, 202-289-2373 or bkeefe@e2.org, or Jeff Benzak, 202-513-6248 or jbenzak@e2.org. North Carolina remains among top states for clean energy job announcements despite attempts to repeal state renewable […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NCIPL Director and Volunteer on “Midday Interview” NPR Radio Show
NCIPL Director (Susannah Tuttle) and Volunteer (Ed Ablard) discuss the work and mission of NCIPL, as well as the wonderful evening Ed organized at his church, St. Paul’s Episcopal. Thank […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
West Market Street United Methodist Church, Greensboro
West Market Street United Methodist Church’s Care4Creation team launched a “Let There Be Light” campaign during the month of April to educate the congregation about the benefits of LED light […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Get your Congregation “On the Map” re: Caring for Creation
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out NCIPL’s success story map. The stories you read are diverse in faith, demographics, geography, themes, and approaches. Each congregation responds to climate […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Earth Sabbath Celebrations – Free Resources
As winter heads our way, consider hosting an Earth Sabbath Celebration. We have recently added several new services to the Celebration Resource Page and encourage you to check them […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Clergy Letter on Keystone Published in Politico
The following letter was sent to NC House members’ Legislative Directors and Energy and Environmental Legislative Assistants: I wanted to be sure that you saw this letter, published as a […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Urge Senate to Support Gina McCarthy for EPA
From National IPL’s Blog: Update: Republican members of the Environment and Public Works Senate Committee ended their boycott. Her nomination passed on a party line vote. The Stand with Gina […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NC Utilities Commission Challenges Duke Energy
May 6, 2013, Charlotte, NC — The North Carolina Utilities Commission issued an order on Friday challenging Duke Energy to back up its Integrated Resource Plan – its long-term business plan – with more facts. The order questioned whether Duke is overestimating the amount of electricity it must generate and whether it is adequately pursuing energy efficiency and renewable energy that would negate the need for Duke to continue raising rates on families and small businesses in North Carolina.
By Eco-Justice Connection
Christ Episcopal Church, Albemarle Offers NCIPL Energy Workshop to Public
Written by Nancy Bryant, Good Earth Committee, 704-474-9134 Christ Episcopal Church, Albemarle Christ Episcopal Church’s Good Earth Committee offered a free two-hour workshop on energy efficiency for Stanly churches on […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Volunteer Spotlight: 3 NCIPL Volunteers Receive 2013 Governor’s Award
NCIPL is proud to announce that 3 of our volunteers were awarded the 2013 Governor’s Award: Penny Hooper (Morehead City) Carl Sigel (Raleigh) and Jean Larson (Asheville). Each recipient is more […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Elon Community Church
Elon Community Church followed the LLC model of financing our solar panels. This is the model developed by the Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy (AIRE) in Boone and utilized by […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
NC Renewable Energy Standards Upheld!
Letter from Director | Press Release Dear NCIPL Community ~*~ I had the great joy of being in the Legislative Building today when the NC General Assembly’s Public Utility and Energy […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Sacred Potluck Challenge 2013
This November, NCIPL will hold its second annual Sacred Potluck Challenge. This is an opportunity for congregations to explore the connections between food choices and greenhouse gases while sharing food […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Have a Faith Based Community Garden? Make the Climate Connection!
One thing that almost every congregation does is eat together. Coffee hour after worship, Wednesday dinner, pancake breakfasts—where there is a congregation, there is food. Over the past years, many […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Durham Shambhala Meditation Center Energy Audit Reflection
“A couple of years ago NCIPL did an energy audit at the Durham Shambhala Meditation Center, and about that time the Center also sponsored a showing and discussion of Al […]
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St. Thomas More Energy Audit Reflection
“As I’ve been asked to make some personal reflections on the energy audit at St. Thomas More Parish sponsored by NCIPL, let me offer these few comments. We had a […]
By Eco-Justice Connection
Environmental groups begin statewide “convergence” in Sylva
David Forbes, Mountain Express From the Canary Coalition: Thousands of groups and individuals from throughout North Carolina are expected to be converging on Raleigh the weekend of April 20-21 to […]
By Eco-Justice Connection