I greet you on behalf of the North Carolina Council of Churches, representing 19 denominations in this state with congregations in big cities like Charlotte and crossroads most of us […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches is proud to stand as a plaintiff to affirm the sacred obligation to welcome and care for our immigrant neighbors. Read more in the […]
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 […]
Join us for a webinar alongside Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), the oldest refugee agency in the U.S., to learn how faith communities and people of faith can become sponsor […]
The annual HKonJ (Historic Thousands on Jones Street) Moral March and People’s Assembly 2021 is happening virtually and online this year. Due to Covid, we cannot gather on Fayetteville Street, but there […]
This August and September, NCIPL will host an eight-week forum series detailing the important issues facing us this election. These events will highlight our voter reflection guide, feature expert speakers, […]
This August and September, NCIPL will host an eight-week forum series detailing the important issues facing us this election. These events will highlight our voter reflection guide, feature expert speakers, […]
Hundreds of thousands of migrants are seeking refuge and asylum in the United States. Many factors contribute to migration and cause people to knock on our country’s door. Political corruption, […]
Hundreds of thousands of migrants are seeking refuge and asylum in the United States. Many factors contribute to migration and cause people to knock on our country’s door. Political corruption, […]
The same week as our nation’s Independence Day holiday, several undocumented immigrants were fined for remaining in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Immigration & […]
The Wild Goose Festival is a 4-day art, music, and story-driven transformational experience grounded in faith-inspired social justice. Come to not only learn from incredible speakers, but also to engage […]
INTRODUCED BILLS CRIMINAL JUSTICEHB 781 – Limitations on Use of Solitary Confinementactually contains several items related to prisons: Solitary confinement couldn’t be used for inmates with serious mental illness unless […]
INTRODUCED BILLS CRIMINAL JUSTICE HB 587 – Repeal Death Penalty would abolish the death penalty, and all prisoners currently on Death Row would be resentenced to life imprisonment without parole. […]
INTRODUCED BILLS CRIMINAL JUSTICE/PRISON REFORM HB 460/SB 545 – Fair Chance Hiring would require state agencies to reduce barriers to hiring people with a criminal history. Specific provisions include: Prohibits […]
INTRODUCED BILLS ECONOMIC JUSTICE HB 422/SB 234 – Healthy Families & Workplaces/Paid Sick Days is similar to the paid sick leave provisions of HB 46. (See RR, February 26.) Introduced […]
INTRODUCED BILLS GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION With the passing last month of the first anniversary of the shooting deaths of 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, the […]
INTRODUCED BILLS ECONOMIC JUSTICE HB 46 – Economic Security Act of 2019HB 46 is a collection of issues long of concern to workers and worker advocates. Specific provisions would: Increase […]
Sermon originally delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland on Sunday, October 21 at Community United Church of Christ in Raleigh. Right now there are thousands of people walking from Honduras […]
Earlier this year, a draft of the “public charge” rule was leaked. The final version from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was published in the Federal Register (October 10) […]
Just this week, the president signed an executive order ending the separation of families, but this order does not change the fact that thousands of children were stripped away from […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches and its allies across North Carolina invite others to join the NC Sanctuary Coalition. We first announced plans for the coalition at a press […]
Sermon delivered by Council Governing Board member Isaac S. Villegas on May 28, 2018. Coming and going, leaving and arriving, exit and entrance. That’s the theme permeating these verse from […]
Earlier this week, Mijente, a new political home for Latinx and Chicanx organizing, launched their “Abolish I.C.E.” tour in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of the tour is to rally support […]
The draft of a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security was recently leaked to the press. On top of all the new restrictions and regulations related to immigration […]
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is […]
Remarks delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a March 17 press conference in Chapel Hill on the Sanctuary Movement. At the North Carolina Council of Churches, we don’t pretend […]
The North Carolina Council of Churches must replace our veteran Immigration Program Director, Jennie Belle, who will become the Faith Community Organizer for the national organization, Church World Service. Over […]
Statement Affirming the Ministry of Sanctuary by Congregations Approved March 6, 2018 by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches The North Carolina Council of Churches: Reaffirms […]
The Federal Government of the United States of America shut down at midnight on Friday. It reopened yesterday, but may shut down again in February. Uncertainty and disorientation abound. […]
A reflection on Jesus of Nazareth (out of which nothing good comes)¹, the life and death of Martin Luther King Jr., and the detention of Gilles Bikindou. Jesus. Martin. Gilles. […]
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced the decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador. This temporary immigration status allows people from certain countries […]
A growing movement of immigrant and faith communities have committed to doing what Congress and the Administration refuse to do: protect and stand with immigrants facing deportation. However, many congregations […]
The Wild Goose Festival is a 4-day art, music, and story-driven transformational experience grounded in faith-inspired social justice. Come to not only learn from incredible speakers, but also to engage […]
Last year, we created an Advent Calendar to Support Immigrants and Refugees. This year, as the futures of tens of thousands of refugees, DACA recipients, and immigrants who are at […]
Dear Friends, Last year when we sent out our fall appeal requesting financial support for the work of the North Carolina Council of Churches we were only days past the […]
For many of us living in the United States, Thanksgiving is a time when we get together with family and friends. We share food, fellowship, and the things that we are […]
This week, the Trump administration announced it will end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an Obama initiative protecting hundreds of thousands of young, undocumented immigrants from deportation. This protection […]
Two weeks ago, the President endorsed a new bill in the Senate designed to cut legal immigration levels in half over a decade, a potentially extreme change to policies that […]
Five years ago, President Obama created the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program to enable young people brought to this country as children to come out of the shadows […]
In light of recent events involving the deportation and fears of our immigrant brothers and sisters throughout the state, the NC Council of Churches’ annual Faith & Immigration Summit will […]
I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit Cuba on two occasions: the first in 2000 on a mission trip with a Baptist church and the second last September […]
Sanctuary Matters: Testimony and Best Practices: A Weekend of Reflection & Training September 16, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 17 United Church of Chapel Hill 1321 Martin Luther King […]
For at least the next month, drivers along I-40 West between Statesville and Hickory will see an important reminder of God’s directive to be a welcoming presence to the most […]
First celebrated in 2001, World Refugee Day is held annually on June 20. The day marks a worldwide effort to raise awareness of the plight of refugees and recognize the contributions of […]
Photo courtesy of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Under President Trump’s recent executive orders, many people’s lives have changed, especially the lives of those who have come to North Carolina […]
The exhilaration of Easter is fading into memory, and we are left with more routine matters. Unfortunately, the matters that are becoming more and more commonplace have frightening implications: tweets, threats, […]
As followers of the Prince of Peace, Christians are not always particularly peaceful people, which is what makes North Carolina’s return to the national stage as a foothold for intolerance […]
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 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 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 […]
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee of the North Carolina General Assembly discussed SB 145, an anti-immigrant bill that would expand the 287g program, thereby allowing local law enforcement to […]
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. […]
For those who could not be with us at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Raleigh, video from portions of the day is available on our Facebook page. The morning […]
Thank you to those who have registered for the 2017 Legislative Seminar. We are looking forward to having you join us this Monday, March 27, at St. Mark’s United Methodist […]
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXATION HB 329, Home School Education Tax Credit, would give a $1,250-per-student-per-semester income tax credit to the parents of […]
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 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 George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXES S 147, Reenact School Sales Tax Holiday. The school sales tax holiday was a three-day weekend shortly before […]
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 […]
Did you miss our webinar, ““Loving Our Neighbors in a New Administration?” If so, please watch the one-hour video below to learn ways to protect immigrants and refugees in the […]
Yesterday morning, the Sandra P. Lerner Jewish Community Day School in Durham received a bomb threat. This was the most recent in recurring waves of bomb threats against Jewish centers […]
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director Newly Introduced Bills BUDGET AND TAXES S 75, Constitutional Amendment – Maximum Income Tax Rate of 5.5%. The Constitution currently sets a maximum rate […]
President Trump’s recent executive actions impacting refugees and immigrants have faithful people increasingly interested in how they might support our sisters and brothers being impacted. Court decisions have offered a […]
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director As the legislative session continues, there’s been a marked increase in the number of bills being introduced. Here are summaries of several which will […]
Sometimes God whispers. Whether through hymns or homilies or kids dancing their way down the aisle to children’s chapel. Sometimes God shouts. Through the amplified suffering of others, known or […]
Last in a series of three blogs. Above all, these strangers bring to us the Christ. When we welcome a stranger we welcome Jesus, and when we welcome Jesus we […]
Second in a series of three blogs. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2) The idea […]
Compared with some of the provocatively, even outrageously unsuited people whom President Trump has chosen for high office, Neil Gorsuch barely moves the needle. But that’s not to say Americans […]
This Sunday’s Gospel reading was the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12. Jesus says blessed nine times, but he never says blocked or banned. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the […]
The Council has had a busy weekend. Much of the staff was helping with the Beyond Gun Violence Conference at United Church of Chapel Hill, but we also had folks […]
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 […]
First in a series of three blogs. God calls people of faith to remember that they once were strangers in a strange land and they must, must welcome the stranger […]
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 […]
Dear Mr. Trump, You ARE my president. I did not vote for you, but you were elected, and that makes you my president because I am a citizen of these […]
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 & […]
Excerpted from How Will We Welcome the Prince of Peace? An Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the NC Council of Churches. Now after they had left, an angel […]
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 […]
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, […]
Today when I logged onto Facebook, among all the heartbreaking news in our world (some from credible sources, others questionable), I was taken with a graphic shared by Hacking Christianity, a blog […]
Almost 400 years ago, in what is now Massachusetts, a group of newly arrived immigrants from Europe received lifesaving hospitality from a group of indigenous Americans. Tomorrow, we celebrate and […]
Those of us aligned with the Council of Churches share a political outlook whose priorities include equal rights, equal opportunity, environmental stewardship, ample investment in public services and fair allocation […]
The NC Council of Churches has never taken peace for granted. Indeed, along with our work in opposition to violence, there has long been the recognition that peace manifests itself […]
We work toward a church that is all-loving. That’s what we’ve always done and that’s what we’re going to keep doing. Stay connected with the Council to learn about opportunities […]
By Nina Voli, Duke Divinity School Intern Historically, the celebration of Halloween has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain, a pagan commemoration of the end of the harvest […]
In the midst of election season, I have been reminded once again of the importance of having an ID in order to vote. When I went to my polling place […]
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 […]
September 17 marks Citizenship and Constitution Day, a combined event that commemorates the anniversary of the United States Constitution and recognizes all U.S. citizens. Ceremonies and celebrations will take place […]
Immigration is one of the most important issues in the 2016 presidential race, as it has been in previous election cycles. Debates about our response to immigrants and refugees coming […]
These remarks were delivered at the Reason for Reform press conference on August 3, 2016 at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. In addition to my job as leader of the NC […]
The N.C. General Assembly’s 2016 regular session, which drew to a sudden close on July 1, will be remembered as much for what didn’t happen as for what did – […]
This speech was delivered by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland at a press conference against House Bill 100 on June 28, 2016. The Old Testament is filled with instructions on how […]
This past week has been filled with what feels like a continuous barrage of tragic news: the shootings in Orlando and subsequent lack of gun control measures by Congress, World […]
There wasn’t a lot to like about what occurred the other day in a state Senate committee. First, legislative rules – notoriously rubberized – were stretched to the point where […]
Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day, a day when people all over the world celebrate the courage, strength and resiliency of our neighbors who were forced to flee their home […]
Let’s face it. We, that would be all of us who proudly claim the title of American, must do more to forestall the situations and grievances and opportunities that can […]
At the beginning of 2016, ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) stepped up deportations of undocumented Central Americans in North Carolina. Last week it was announced that another wave of deportations […]
Tuesday, May 17 Noon At the beginning of 2016, ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) stepped up deportations of undocumented Central Americans in North Carolina. Now is the time for faith […]
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 […]
I do not believe that I am the only one who feels a little hopeless right now. Members of the news media bombard us with news of the attack on Brussels, […]
