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Council Voices

The fraud that was election fraud

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The United States Congress, a week after the nation’s Capitol was overrun by a violent mob while lawmakers were carrying out one of their paramount duties, now faces a paramount challenge: How to hold President Trump properly accountable for his role in the insurrection. Failure to do so, whether by forced resignation or impeachment, would […]

The fraud that was election fraud

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The United States Congress, a week after the nation’s Capitol was overrun by a violent mob while lawmakers were carrying out one of their paramount duties, now faces a paramount challenge: How to hold President Trump properly accountable for his role in the insurrection. Failure to do so, whether by forced resignation or impeachment, would […]

NAACP PRESS RELEASE: Trump Coup Attempt

By North Carolina Council of Churches

For Immediate Release: January 7, 2021 Contacts:Joy Cook, NC NAACP, 336-970-8131, joy.cook@naacpnc.orgMorgan Pratt, NC NAACP, morgan.pratt@naacpnc.org Rev. Dr. Anthony Spearman Many who love democracy tremble for the United States of America tonight.  The outgoing President of the United States has tried to overturn the clear and proven will of the electorate—the lifeblood of any democracy.  As his […]

NAACP PRESS RELEASE: Trump Coup Attempt

by North Carolina Council of Churches

For Immediate Release: January 7, 2021 Contacts:Joy Cook, NC NAACP, 336-970-8131, joy.cook@naacpnc.orgMorgan Pratt, NC NAACP, morgan.pratt@naacpnc.org Rev. Dr. Anthony Spearman Many who love democracy tremble for the United States of America tonight.  The outgoing President of the United States has tried to overturn the clear and proven will of the electorate—the lifeblood of any democracy.  As his […]

Perspective

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

No doubt, all of us have watched multiple recaps of events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. Epiphany. Perhaps it was calendar coincidence that counting and certifying the electoral votes for the most recent presidential election happened on the day named by Christians as the “manifestation” of Jesus as Christ to the world. We […]

Perspective

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

No doubt, all of us have watched multiple recaps of events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. Epiphany. Perhaps it was calendar coincidence that counting and certifying the electoral votes for the most recent presidential election happened on the day named by Christians as the “manifestation” of Jesus as Christ to the world. We […]

Healthcare is a Human Right

By North Carolina Council of Churches

This piece was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in conjunction with Chris Pernell, Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness. The Council has long been an advocate for universal healthcare, dating back at least to this Governing Board resolution. In truth, universal healthcare is as old as our faith tradition that lays out guidelines […]

Healthcare is a Human Right

by North Carolina Council of Churches

This piece was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in conjunction with Chris Pernell, Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness. The Council has long been an advocate for universal healthcare, dating back at least to this Governing Board resolution. In truth, universal healthcare is as old as our faith tradition that lays out guidelines […]

Advent Guide: Epiphany, January 6

By Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Endow the king with your justice, O God,    the royal son with your righteousness.May he judge your people in righteousness,    your afflicted ones with justice. May the mountains bring prosperity […]

Advent Guide: Epiphany, January 6

by Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Endow the king with your justice, O God,    the royal son with your righteousness.May he judge your people in righteousness,    your afflicted ones with justice. May the mountains bring prosperity […]

Advent Guide: Second Sunday after Christmas, January 3

By Vanna Fox, Development Director

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:(1-9), 10-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him […]

Advent Guide: Second Sunday after Christmas, January 3

by Vanna Fox, Development Director

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:(1-9), 10-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him […]

Hard year’s signposts in quest for justice

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Even for those of us who found a measure of joy during the year whose end we now mark – taking delight from a child’s birth, perhaps, or from a marriage, a graduation, success at work – Americans will remember 2020 chiefly as a showcase of conflict and sorrow. It brought of course the rampage […]

Hard year’s signposts in quest for justice

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Even for those of us who found a measure of joy during the year whose end we now mark – taking delight from a child’s birth, perhaps, or from a marriage, a graduation, success at work – Americans will remember 2020 chiefly as a showcase of conflict and sorrow. It brought of course the rampage […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday after Christmas, December 27

By Rev. Karen Richardson Dunn, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Healthy Aging

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens;    praise him in the heights above.Praise him, all his angels;    praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon;    […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday after Christmas, December 27

by Rev. Karen Richardson Dunn, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Healthy Aging

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens;    praise him in the heights above.Praise him, all his angels;    praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon;    […]

Advent Guide: Christmas Day

By Sean Allen, Director of Finance and Administration

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 2:1-20 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) […]

Advent Guide: Christmas Day

by Sean Allen, Director of Finance and Administration

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 2:1-20 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) […]

Advent Guide: Fourth Sunday, December 20

By Nicole Johnson, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 1:26-38, 46b-55 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant […]

Advent Guide: Fourth Sunday, December 20

by Nicole Johnson, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Luke 1:26-38, 46b-55 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant […]

Advent Guide: Third Sunday, December 13

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,    because the Lord has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  […]

Advent Guide: Third Sunday, December 13

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,    because the Lord has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  […]

Healthcare for All

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The following remarks were delivered by Jennifer Copeland at a press conference at the General Assembly on Healthcare for all this morning. There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke (5:17-39) about a man who couldn’t walk. As usual, there was a crowd around Jesus and even people who could walk were having a hard […]

Healthcare for All

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The following remarks were delivered by Jennifer Copeland at a press conference at the General Assembly on Healthcare for all this morning. There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke (5:17-39) about a man who couldn’t walk. As usual, there was a crowd around Jesus and even people who could walk were having a hard […]

Voters met the challenge. Now, ‘ID, please?’

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As Americans soldier on amidst their ill-fated 2020 stress test, there is inspiration to be found. Our democracy’s guardrails as enshrined in the Constitution may have been battered by a self-aggrandizing president contemptuous of his oath of office. But voters mustered the strength even while a pandemic raged to give that president the hook. In […]

Voters met the challenge. Now, ‘ID, please?’

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

As Americans soldier on amidst their ill-fated 2020 stress test, there is inspiration to be found. Our democracy’s guardrails as enshrined in the Constitution may have been battered by a self-aggrandizing president contemptuous of his oath of office. But voters mustered the strength even while a pandemic raged to give that president the hook. In […]

Advent Guide: Second Sunday, December 6

By Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort, comfort my people,    says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,and proclaim to herthat her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,that she has received from the Lord’s […]

Advent Guide: Second Sunday, December 6

by Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort, comfort my people,    says your God.Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,and proclaim to herthat her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,that she has received from the Lord’s […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday, November 29

By Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, following that distress,the sun will be darkened,    and the moon will not give its light;the stars will fall from the sky,    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday, November 29

by Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, following that distress,the sun will be darkened,    and the moon will not give its light;the stars will fall from the sky,    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time […]

2020 Advent Guide: The Heart of the Work

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

As I write these words (early enough for compilation, printing, and delivery into your hands), we are all watching polls, listening to commentators, and considering how best to cast a ballot. We are saying, as we did four years ago, this is the most important election of our lives. And it is true again as […]

2020 Advent Guide: The Heart of the Work

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

As I write these words (early enough for compilation, printing, and delivery into your hands), we are all watching polls, listening to commentators, and considering how best to cast a ballot. We are saying, as we did four years ago, this is the most important election of our lives. And it is true again as […]

Raise the Wage

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

My faith tradition professes that our worth is in our faces because our faces look like God’s face. We are created in the Image of God, making each human face invaluable. Hiding opposition to fair wages behind arguments about shrinking bottom lines and increased overhead devalues the face. Why do people need to work for […]

Raise the Wage

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

My faith tradition professes that our worth is in our faces because our faces look like God’s face. We are created in the Image of God, making each human face invaluable. Hiding opposition to fair wages behind arguments about shrinking bottom lines and increased overhead devalues the face. Why do people need to work for […]

Face it: Trump, allies owned N.C.

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolinians who stood against our soon-to-be ex-president’s rancid politics of grievance, contempt and division, fueled by a gusher of falsehoods, are heartened by the nation’s clear choice of Joseph R. Biden Jr. to be our next chief executive. At the same time, Biden’s happy supporters must reckon with this uncomfortable fact: Even if the […]

Face it: Trump, allies owned N.C.

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

North Carolinians who stood against our soon-to-be ex-president’s rancid politics of grievance, contempt and division, fueled by a gusher of falsehoods, are heartened by the nation’s clear choice of Joseph R. Biden Jr. to be our next chief executive. At the same time, Biden’s happy supporters must reckon with this uncomfortable fact: Even if the […]

God’s Democracy

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

There was no recognizable democracy for the people and places reflected in the Old and New Testaments. It was mostly clans and tribes eventually giving way to monarch rule. In the 1st century, Jesus lived in an occupied territory, Palestine occupied by Rome.  Yet, throughout scripture we see the fabric of democracy weaving together salvation […]

God’s Democracy

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

There was no recognizable democracy for the people and places reflected in the Old and New Testaments. It was mostly clans and tribes eventually giving way to monarch rule. In the 1st century, Jesus lived in an occupied territory, Palestine occupied by Rome.  Yet, throughout scripture we see the fabric of democracy weaving together salvation […]

Election Machinery in High Gear

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With North Carolinians on track to cast eye-popping numbers of votes in advance of Election Day, Nov. 3, perhaps it’s time to breathe a cautious sigh of relief. A system that could have buckled under the strain of massive early voting, both by mail and in person, amidst the coronavirus pandemic may have creaked and […]

Election Machinery in High Gear

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With North Carolinians on track to cast eye-popping numbers of votes in advance of Election Day, Nov. 3, perhaps it’s time to breathe a cautious sigh of relief. A system that could have buckled under the strain of massive early voting, both by mail and in person, amidst the coronavirus pandemic may have creaked and […]

School Quality vs. the Virus

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With the coronavirus still rampant across North Carolina, the top education concern in many families has little to do with the state’s long-term school investments or with the disadvantages faced by students in economically stressed rural communities. The big issue in thousands of households has to do with kids trying to learn effectively in online, […]

School Quality vs. the Virus

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With the coronavirus still rampant across North Carolina, the top education concern in many families has little to do with the state’s long-term school investments or with the disadvantages faced by students in economically stressed rural communities. The big issue in thousands of households has to do with kids trying to learn effectively in online, […]

Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It’s pretty obvious why the N.C. Council of Churches and its allies on the faith-and-justice spectrum hope to see plenty of like-minded voters turning out for the elections this fall. Much is at stake, from who will serve as the nation’s chief executive during perilous, challenging times to who will decide how public schools are […]

Churches’ Watchwords: Every Vote Counts!

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It’s pretty obvious why the N.C. Council of Churches and its allies on the faith-and-justice spectrum hope to see plenty of like-minded voters turning out for the elections this fall. Much is at stake, from who will serve as the nation’s chief executive during perilous, challenging times to who will decide how public schools are […]

The Virus and the Vulnerable

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The image of a perfect storm conveys a rueful irony – the storm whose components are so intertwined, so synchronized, so mutually reinforcing as to make it “perfect” in its destructiveness. Perfect storm, meet COVID-19. The overall dynamic is as simple as it is terrible: The coronavirus endangers people who come into contact with others […]

The Virus and the Vulnerable

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The image of a perfect storm conveys a rueful irony – the storm whose components are so intertwined, so synchronized, so mutually reinforcing as to make it “perfect” in its destructiveness. Perfect storm, meet COVID-19. The overall dynamic is as simple as it is terrible: The coronavirus endangers people who come into contact with others […]

Pandemic Session’s Tangled Tale

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The scenario was familiar as the N.C. General Assembly engaged in another frantic and exhausting push to complete a legislative session. Mission accomplished? Well, that depends on how you look at it. Formal adjournment was delayed, awaiting Gov. Roy Cooper’s response to several bills, as the House and Senate wrapped up most of their business […]

Pandemic Session’s Tangled Tale

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The scenario was familiar as the N.C. General Assembly engaged in another frantic and exhausting push to complete a legislative session. Mission accomplished? Well, that depends on how you look at it. Formal adjournment was delayed, awaiting Gov. Roy Cooper’s response to several bills, as the House and Senate wrapped up most of their business […]

From Domination to Dominion

By Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

The following transcript was offered as a sermon by NCIPL Program Coordinator, Sarah Ogletree, on Sunday, June 7th, during the online worship service of Pittsboro Presbyterian Church. The sermon reflects on Genesis 1:1-2:4 as is titled “From Domination to Dominion.”  Our text this morning is one of great beauty and fame. If you are like […]

From Domination to Dominion

by Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

The following transcript was offered as a sermon by NCIPL Program Coordinator, Sarah Ogletree, on Sunday, June 7th, during the online worship service of Pittsboro Presbyterian Church. The sermon reflects on Genesis 1:1-2:4 as is titled “From Domination to Dominion.”  Our text this morning is one of great beauty and fame. If you are like […]

Sacred Spaces

By Elizabeth Brewington, Overdose Response Program Coordinator

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 I never know what kind of answers I will get from my group.  The kids responded with answers such as; somewhere special, cozy, calm, someplace full […]

Sacred Spaces

by Elizabeth Brewington, Overdose Response Program Coordinator

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 I never know what kind of answers I will get from my group.  The kids responded with answers such as; somewhere special, cozy, calm, someplace full […]

Statement on Systemic Racism

By North Carolina Council of Churches

A resolution adopted by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches, June 2, 2020. Whereas the North Carolina Council of Churches was founded in 1935, primarily for the purpose of addressing racial inequity and racial injustice, and  Whereas our white founders soon recognized that racial equity and racial justice should not be […]

Statement on Systemic Racism

by North Carolina Council of Churches

A resolution adopted by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches, June 2, 2020. Whereas the North Carolina Council of Churches was founded in 1935, primarily for the purpose of addressing racial inequity and racial injustice, and  Whereas our white founders soon recognized that racial equity and racial justice should not be […]

Light a Fire in our Midst

By Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

In his poem, “Harlem,” Langston Hughes asked, “what is a dream deferred?” He offers some unsettling answers and concludes that a dream deferred is a dream that ultimately explodes.  Pentecost, celebrated yesterday throughout Christianity, also exposes us to explosiveness. It is about newness: new ways of existing, new communities of faith, new ways of relating […]

Light a Fire in our Midst

by Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

In his poem, “Harlem,” Langston Hughes asked, “what is a dream deferred?” He offers some unsettling answers and concludes that a dream deferred is a dream that ultimately explodes.  Pentecost, celebrated yesterday throughout Christianity, also exposes us to explosiveness. It is about newness: new ways of existing, new communities of faith, new ways of relating […]

Swing Toward Safer Voting

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With just five months and change until Election Day, 2020 – and with many virus-leery North Carolinians wondering how they’ll manage to vote safely – efforts to update the state’s election laws to meet the challenges of COVID-19 show that push is coming to shove. Those efforts are unfolding in the General Assembly, where legislation […]

Swing Toward Safer Voting

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

With just five months and change until Election Day, 2020 – and with many virus-leery North Carolinians wondering how they’ll manage to vote safely – efforts to update the state’s election laws to meet the challenges of COVID-19 show that push is coming to shove. Those efforts are unfolding in the General Assembly, where legislation […]

On Not Going to Church

By North Carolina Council of Churches

In light of recent protests and rallies from some pastors and politicians in North Carolina calling for reopening our places of worship, the North Carolina Council of Churches states unequivocally that we do not believe now is the time for congregations to return to their sanctuaries. This is not a political issue. It is a […]

On Not Going to Church

by North Carolina Council of Churches

In light of recent protests and rallies from some pastors and politicians in North Carolina calling for reopening our places of worship, the North Carolina Council of Churches states unequivocally that we do not believe now is the time for congregations to return to their sanctuaries. This is not a political issue. It is a […]

A small roadway memorial marks the area where jogger Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia [Erik S Lesser/EPA]

Lament for a Life

By North Carolina Council of Churches

This piece was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in conjunction with Jessica Stokes, Associate Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness. For 85 years the North Carolina Council of Churches has worked to address racial inequality. In fact, it was the reason for our inception. Our founder believed that churches working together could bring […]

Lament for a Life

by North Carolina Council of Churches

This piece was written by Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director, in conjunction with Jessica Stokes, Associate Director of Partners in Health and Wholeness. For 85 years the North Carolina Council of Churches has worked to address racial inequality. In fact, it was the reason for our inception. Our founder believed that churches working together could bring […]

Safe Elections: The Pressure’s On

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Members of the N.C. House and Senate, resolutely confronting the deadly and disastrous coronavirus pandemic, have offered up shining examples of just what friends are for. Friends are there to rescue you as you are about to commit a major blunder – a blunder betraying long-held principles and maybe even helping some people who aren’t […]

Safe Elections: The Pressure’s On

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Members of the N.C. House and Senate, resolutely confronting the deadly and disastrous coronavirus pandemic, have offered up shining examples of just what friends are for. Friends are there to rescue you as you are about to commit a major blunder – a blunder betraying long-held principles and maybe even helping some people who aren’t […]

Day of [Ringing] Prayer

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The North Carolina Council of Churches is offering a modification to the typical National Day of Prayer, celebrated each year on the first Thursday of May. Borrowing an idea from residents around the world who call aloud from their balconies and rooftops across their neighborhoods and cities each evening, the Council invites churches and individuals to […]

Day of [Ringing] Prayer

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The North Carolina Council of Churches is offering a modification to the typical National Day of Prayer, celebrated each year on the first Thursday of May. Borrowing an idea from residents around the world who call aloud from their balconies and rooftops across their neighborhoods and cities each evening, the Council invites churches and individuals to […]

In search of voting’s ‘new normal’

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When and if members of the N.C. General Assembly reconvene as scheduled on April 28 – presumably wearing masks and taking all the other recommended precautions to stay safe and help foil the spread of COVID-19 – they’ll confront an unprecedented tangle of complex and crucial issues. Normally – yes, what we wouldn’t give for […]

In search of voting’s ‘new normal’

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When and if members of the N.C. General Assembly reconvene as scheduled on April 28 – presumably wearing masks and taking all the other recommended precautions to stay safe and help foil the spread of COVID-19 – they’ll confront an unprecedented tangle of complex and crucial issues. Normally – yes, what we wouldn’t give for […]

Lenten Guide – Easter Sunday

By Rev. Karen Richardson Dunn, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Healthy Aging

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Easter Sunday – Colossians 3:1-4 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are […]

Lenten Guide – Easter Sunday

by Rev. Karen Richardson Dunn, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Healthy Aging

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Easter Sunday – Colossians 3:1-4 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are […]

Lenten Guide – Good Friday

By Rachel Baker, Communications Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Good Friday – Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not […]

Lenten Guide – Good Friday

by Rachel Baker, Communications Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Good Friday – Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not […]

Holy Breaths: Our Health Tips in Response to COVID-19

By Lindsay Barth, Event Coordinator & PHW Communications Associate

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 this crisis with so few choices, forced to live in fear of “what if.”  Our hearts yearn for the moment when we can finally embrace […]

Holy Breaths: Our Health Tips in Response to COVID-19

by Lindsay Barth, Event Coordinator & PHW Communications Associate

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 this crisis with so few choices, forced to live in fear of “what if.”  Our hearts yearn for the moment when we can finally embrace […]

Lenten Guide – Maundy Thursday

By Vanna Fox, Development Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Maundy Thursday – John 13: 31b-35 Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself […]

Lenten Guide – Maundy Thursday

by Vanna Fox, Development Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Maundy Thursday – John 13: 31b-35 Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself […]

Lenten Guide – Palm Sunday

By Elizabeth Brewington, Overdose Response Program Coordinator

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Palm Sunday – Matthew 21:1-11 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately […]

Lenten Guide – Palm Sunday

by Elizabeth Brewington, Overdose Response Program Coordinator

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Palm Sunday – Matthew 21:1-11 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately […]

Virus-era Voting – Buckle Up

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

In keeping with the familiar rhythms of American politics, this is a year when many of our elected leaders, including the president, and their would-be successors will stand for inspection before the voters. They will offer themselves for judgment on their performance, for appraisal of their likely success going forward, for assessment of character and […]

Virus-era Voting – Buckle Up

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

In keeping with the familiar rhythms of American politics, this is a year when many of our elected leaders, including the president, and their would-be successors will stand for inspection before the voters. They will offer themselves for judgment on their performance, for appraisal of their likely success going forward, for assessment of character and […]

Lenten Guide – Fifth Sunday

By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.    Lord, hear my voice!Let your ears be attentive    to the voice of my supplications!If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,    Lord, who could stand?But there […]

Lenten Guide – Fifth Sunday

by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.    Lord, hear my voice!Let your ears be attentive    to the voice of my supplications!If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,    Lord, who could stand?But there […]

Lenten Guide – Fourth Sunday

By Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths […]

Lenten Guide – Fourth Sunday

by Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths […]

Courage & Compassion in the Time of Coronavirus

By Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

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 said for COVID-19. We know we cannot love, and stand with, the vulnerable in our society without taking the coronavirus seriously. That means following the guidelines issued by […]

Courage & Compassion in the Time of Coronavirus

by Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

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 said for COVID-19. We know we cannot love, and stand with, the vulnerable in our society without taking the coronavirus seriously. That means following the guidelines issued by […]

Faithful Responses to COVID 19

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Handwashing, covering sneezes, and social distancing techniques abound. We recommend the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines. Meanwhile, our friends in Seattle and Italy tell us we should take steps now to prevent the spread of this virus before it gets out of hand. To that end, business as usual must be […]

Faithful Responses to COVID 19

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Handwashing, covering sneezes, and social distancing techniques abound. We recommend the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines. Meanwhile, our friends in Seattle and Italy tell us we should take steps now to prevent the spread of this virus before it gets out of hand. To that end, business as usual must be […]

Lenten Guide – Third Sunday

By Sean Allen, Director of Finance and Administration

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 4:5-42 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, […]

Lenten Guide – Third Sunday

by Sean Allen, Director of Finance and Administration

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 4:5-42 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, […]

Lenten Guide – Second Sunday

By Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he […]

Lenten Guide – Second Sunday

by Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he […]

Lenten Guide – First Sunday

By Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came […]

Lenten Guide – First Sunday

by Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came […]

Support a 100% Clean Energy Economy.

By North Carolina Council of Churches

NC Interfaith Power & Light Radio Ad “North Carolinians are feeling the impacts of climate change – every day. In just the past two years, our coasts have flooded, and in 2019 severe heat led to nearly four thousand emergency room visits. We must fight climate change to ensure a better world for our children […]

Support a 100% Clean Energy Economy.

by North Carolina Council of Churches

NC Interfaith Power & Light Radio Ad “North Carolinians are feeling the impacts of climate change – every day. In just the past two years, our coasts have flooded, and in 2019 severe heat led to nearly four thousand emergency room visits. We must fight climate change to ensure a better world for our children […]

Lenten Guide – Ash Wednesday

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 58:1-12 Shout out, do not hold back!Lift up your voice like a trumpet!Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.Yet day after day they seek me and delight […]

Lenten Guide – Ash Wednesday

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 58:1-12 Shout out, do not hold back!Lift up your voice like a trumpet!Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.Yet day after day they seek me and delight […]

2020 Lenten Guide: Power Made Perfect in Weakness

By North Carolina Council of Churches

God does not look for perfection in God’s disciples. Instead, God only looks for openness to God’s grace, which is all God needs to turn weakness into something great. This Lenten season the Council invites you to journey toward the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter Sunday with the Apostle Paul’s […]

2020 Lenten Guide: Power Made Perfect in Weakness

by North Carolina Council of Churches

God does not look for perfection in God’s disciples. Instead, God only looks for openness to God’s grace, which is all God needs to turn weakness into something great. This Lenten season the Council invites you to journey toward the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter Sunday with the Apostle Paul’s […]

In God’s Eye

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on Sunday, February 23 at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York focusing on Matthew 17: 1-9. From the Gospel of Matthew, we have come to expect very important events whenever mountains are in the story.  Today’s reading does not disappoint, but first we need […]

In God’s Eye

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on Sunday, February 23 at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York focusing on Matthew 17: 1-9. From the Gospel of Matthew, we have come to expect very important events whenever mountains are in the story.  Today’s reading does not disappoint, but first we need […]

Voter ID’s Rough Ride

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican majority is down to what looks to be its last-ditch defense of the voter ID law it rammed through at the tail end of 2018: Stop complaining because it could be worse! That was the thrust of the argument mounted by GOP legislative chiefs as they tried to fend […]

Voter ID’s Rough Ride

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

The North Carolina General Assembly’s Republican majority is down to what looks to be its last-ditch defense of the voter ID law it rammed through at the tail end of 2018: Stop complaining because it could be worse! That was the thrust of the argument mounted by GOP legislative chiefs as they tried to fend […]

Give Us a Budget

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

North Carolina needs a budget. With half the fiscal year gone (the year began July 1, 2019) we are operating with a budget that is more than a year old. Even routine inflation renders a negative outcome, never mind the burgeoning needs of a growing state that must limp along on 2018 numbers. Reaching a […]

Give Us a Budget

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

North Carolina needs a budget. With half the fiscal year gone (the year began July 1, 2019) we are operating with a budget that is more than a year old. Even routine inflation renders a negative outcome, never mind the burgeoning needs of a growing state that must limp along on 2018 numbers. Reaching a […]

‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

UpdateOn Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge David Lee, who oversees compliance in the Leandro school-quality case, issued an order endorsing the WestEd report’s findings and setting forth steps to address its recommendations for improvements in North Carolina’s public education system. The 34-page consent order obligates the state to do more to ensure that public school students receive […]

‘Sound Basic’ Truths About Our Schools

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

UpdateOn Jan. 21, Superior Court Judge David Lee, who oversees compliance in the Leandro school-quality case, issued an order endorsing the WestEd report’s findings and setting forth steps to address its recommendations for improvements in North Carolina’s public education system. The 34-page consent order obligates the state to do more to ensure that public school students receive […]

Whose Justice?

By North Carolina Council of Churches

The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on Sunday, January 12 at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill focusing on Isaiah 42:1-9. What are the images that come to mind when you hear Isaiah announce God’s justice? If you’re like me, it might conjure up pictures of: Every child going to sleep […]

Whose Justice?

by North Carolina Council of Churches

The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director, Jennifer Copeland, on Sunday, January 12 at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill focusing on Isaiah 42:1-9. What are the images that come to mind when you hear Isaiah announce God’s justice? If you’re like me, it might conjure up pictures of: Every child going to sleep […]

Raleigh Report: Sidetrack for photo voter ID

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A long road remains to be traveled before North Carolinians find out whether they’ll have to show an identification card, with photo, in order to vote in next fall’s pivotal elections. Did we say pivotal? Try crucial, momentous, fateful — take your pick. Of course if you’re good with Trump II, that’s a different assessment. […]

Raleigh Report: Sidetrack for photo voter ID

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

A long road remains to be traveled before North Carolinians find out whether they’ll have to show an identification card, with photo, in order to vote in next fall’s pivotal elections. Did we say pivotal? Try crucial, momentous, fateful — take your pick. Of course if you’re good with Trump II, that’s a different assessment. […]

Advent Guide: Epiphany Sunday, January 5

By Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of […]

Advent Guide: Epiphany Sunday, January 5

by Rev. Jessica Stokes, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Mental Health Advocacy

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday After Christmas, December 29

By Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday After Christmas, December 29

by Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, […]

Advent Guide: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

By Sean Allen, Director of Finance and Administration

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:1-14a In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not […]

Advent Guide: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

by Sean Allen, Director of Finance and Administration

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. John 1:1-14a In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not […]

No More of This

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Remarks from Jennifer Copeland at the Vigil to End Gun Violence in Durham on December 13, 2019 About two years ago, the North Carolina Council of Churches paid for a billboard on I-85 between Durham and Greensboro. It had a huge picture of a huge pile of guns on one side and on the other […]

No More of This

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Remarks from Jennifer Copeland at the Vigil to End Gun Violence in Durham on December 13, 2019 About two years ago, the North Carolina Council of Churches paid for a billboard on I-85 between Durham and Greensboro. It had a huge picture of a huge pile of guns on one side and on the other […]

Advent Guide: Fourth Sunday, December 22

By Rachel Baker, Communications Director

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 80: 1-7; 17-19 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your […]

Advent Guide: Fourth Sunday, December 22

by Rachel Baker, Communications Director

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 80: 1-7; 17-19 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your […]

Raleigh Report: Flawed deal to resurrect Silent Sam

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When leaders of the N.C. Council of Churches two years ago adopted a policy statement entitled “Confederate-themed monuments: Time to reassess,” the statue known as Silent Sam still faced north in a prime spot on the Chapel Hill campus of the nation’s oldest public university. But the image of a youthful soldier – cast as […]

Raleigh Report: Flawed deal to resurrect Silent Sam

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When leaders of the N.C. Council of Churches two years ago adopted a policy statement entitled “Confederate-themed monuments: Time to reassess,” the statue known as Silent Sam still faced north in a prime spot on the Chapel Hill campus of the nation’s oldest public university. But the image of a youthful soldier – cast as […]

Advent Guide: Third Sunday, December 15

By Rev. Karen Richardson Dunn, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Healthy Aging

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 35:1-10 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be […]

Advent Guide: Third Sunday, December 15

by Rev. Karen Richardson Dunn, Associate Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness, Healthy Aging

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 35:1-10 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be […]

Advent Guide: Second Sunday, December 8

By Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,     and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,     the spirit of wisdom and […]

Advent Guide: Second Sunday, December 8

by Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,     and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,     the spirit of wisdom and […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday, December 1

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 122 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together. […]

Advent Guide: First Sunday, December 1

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 122 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together. […]

2019 Advent Guide: Cultivating Care for Creation

By North Carolina Council of Churches

This advent season, the Council decided our theme would be focused on Climate Change. As people of faith, we proclaim our belief that our world is God’s creation, that God sees it as good, and that it is ours to protect and maintain. We also recognize that the quality of life for all of us […]

2019 Advent Guide: Cultivating Care for Creation

by North Carolina Council of Churches

This advent season, the Council decided our theme would be focused on Climate Change. As people of faith, we proclaim our belief that our world is God’s creation, that God sees it as good, and that it is ours to protect and maintain. We also recognize that the quality of life for all of us […]

Gun Violence Prevention: The Work Goes On

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The North Carolina Council of Churches has long cared about gun violence prevention — you would expect that from an organization that devotes much of its energy toward PEACE. A few years ago, however, we became very intentional about this work and in those years have united with a bevy of organizations across N.C. who […]

Gun Violence Prevention: The Work Goes On

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The North Carolina Council of Churches has long cared about gun violence prevention — you would expect that from an organization that devotes much of its energy toward PEACE. A few years ago, however, we became very intentional about this work and in those years have united with a bevy of organizations across N.C. who […]

TEST PHW Post

By chris

Just testing the header here….

TEST PHW Post

by chris

Just testing the header here….

Gerrymanderers Seeing the Light, or Scared Straight?

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Perhaps the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly have finally gotten the message: their decade-long efforts to rig the state’s congressional voting district boundaries in their party’s favor simply won’t fly when challenged in the courts. Perhaps they’re starting to take seriously the views of those, including the N.C. Council of Churches, who have […]

Gerrymanderers Seeing the Light, or Scared Straight?

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Perhaps the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly have finally gotten the message: their decade-long efforts to rig the state’s congressional voting district boundaries in their party’s favor simply won’t fly when challenged in the courts. Perhaps they’re starting to take seriously the views of those, including the N.C. Council of Churches, who have […]

Ambush at Override Gulch

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a host of the state’s most important policy choices but also on his own character. For weeks, the top House Republican had listed on daily legislative […]

Ambush at Override Gulch

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a host of the state’s most important policy choices but also on his own character. For weeks, the top House Republican had listed on daily legislative […]

Ambush at Override Gulch

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a host of the state’s most important policy choices but also on his own character. For weeks, the top House Republican had listed on daily legislative […]

Ambush at Override Gulch

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

When N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore called the House to order for its scheduled 8:30 a.m. session on Sept. 11, he made a fateful decision bearing not only on a host of the state’s most important policy choices but also on his own character. For weeks, the top House Republican had listed on daily legislative […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic beat-down. Three judges capped years of litigation with an […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic beat-down. Three judges capped years of litigation with an […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic beat-down. Three judges capped years of litigation with an explosive Sept. […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic beat-down. Three judges capped years of litigation with an explosive Sept. […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic beat-down. Three judges capped years of litigation with an explosive Sept. […]

Path to Fairer Maps, Better Government

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

If politics can be described as a contact sport, it’s perhaps fitting to say that when the Republicans who control North Carolina’s General Assembly went to court to defend the extreme gerrymandering that has helped keep them in power, they suffered no less than an epic beat-down. Three judges capped years of litigation with an explosive Sept. […]

Spotlight: Seaside United Methodist Church

By Lindsay Barth, Event Coordinator & PHW Communications Associate

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 to provide the necessary tools for healthy, whole, and abundant living. Through these spotlights, we will be sharing an overview of the programs and initiatives […]

Spotlight: Seaside United Methodist Church

by Lindsay Barth, Event Coordinator & PHW Communications Associate

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 to provide the necessary tools for healthy, whole, and abundant living. Through these spotlights, we will be sharing an overview of the programs and initiatives […]

2019 Labor Sabbath Guide

By Rachel Baker, Communications Director

As Labor Day weekend quickly approaches, congregations and clergy members are invited to plan worship services around the hard workers of our nation. The Council has created a 2019 Labor Sabbath guide to be used by faith communities. Congregations will find resources and action items for Labor Day weekend and how to continue highlighting impacted […]

2019 Labor Sabbath Guide

by Rachel Baker, Communications Director

As Labor Day weekend quickly approaches, congregations and clergy members are invited to plan worship services around the hard workers of our nation. The Council has created a 2019 Labor Sabbath guide to be used by faith communities. Congregations will find resources and action items for Labor Day weekend and how to continue highlighting impacted […]

Meet NCIPL Program Coordinator Sarah Ogletree

By Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

My name is Sarah Ogletree and I am the new Program Coordinator of NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL). I am grateful to work for an organization so committed to climate justice and the creation of a more sustainable world. I am also grateful for our incredible network across the state (you!) who make our […]

Meet NCIPL Program Coordinator Sarah Ogletree

by Sarah Ogletree, Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light

My name is Sarah Ogletree and I am the new Program Coordinator of NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL). I am grateful to work for an organization so committed to climate justice and the creation of a more sustainable world. I am also grateful for our incredible network across the state (you!) who make our […]

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems these days feature a whole lot of wheel-spinning and gear-grinding in the face of epic challenges. Psychopaths toting massacre-model firearms stalk public gathering places and […]

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems these days feature a whole lot of wheel-spinning and gear-grinding in the face of epic challenges. Psychopaths toting massacre-model firearms stalk public gathering places and […]

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems these days feature a whole lot of wheel-spinning and gear-grinding in the face of epic challenges. Psychopaths toting massacre-model firearms stalk public gathering places and […]

Guns, Medicaid, Gridlock

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

It can’t have escaped many folks’ notice – even those, bless their hearts, for whom the really big news involves the onset of football season – that our political systems these days feature a whole lot of wheel-spinning and gear-grinding in the face of epic challenges. Psychopaths toting massacre-model firearms stalk public gathering places and […]

Welcome NCIPL Intern Daniel Perrin

By Michelle Peedin, Program Coordinator, Partners in Health and Wholeness

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. I’m Daniel Perrin, and I am now, at last, a summer intern with North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light. From the time that I first […]

Welcome NCIPL Intern Daniel Perrin

by Michelle Peedin, Program Coordinator, Partners in Health and Wholeness

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. I’m Daniel Perrin, and I am now, at last, a summer intern with North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light. From the time that I first […]

Closing Doors and Closing Borders

By Rachel Baker, Communications Director

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, climate change, gang violence, poverty, and criminal activity are just a few of the reasons pushing migrants to our border. There are other factors pulling […]

Closing Doors and Closing Borders

by Rachel Baker, Communications Director

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, climate change, gang violence, poverty, and criminal activity are just a few of the reasons pushing migrants to our border. There are other factors pulling […]

Closing Doors and Closing Borders

By Rachel Baker, Communications Director

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, climate change, gang violence, poverty, and criminal activity are just a few of the reasons pushing migrants to our border. There are other factors pulling […]

Closing Doors and Closing Borders

by Rachel Baker, Communications Director

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, climate change, gang violence, poverty, and criminal activity are just a few of the reasons pushing migrants to our border. There are other factors pulling […]

Be Different.

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Sermon on II Kings 6:8-23 delivered Sunday, July 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Durham. Who would pass up the chance to preach on this marvelous little story in Second Kings? This is the stuff of campfire story lore or bedtime storytelling. Tell us the story about Elisha and the army he captured from Aram. […]

Be Different.

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Sermon on II Kings 6:8-23 delivered Sunday, July 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Durham. Who would pass up the chance to preach on this marvelous little story in Second Kings? This is the stuff of campfire story lore or bedtime storytelling. Tell us the story about Elisha and the army he captured from Aram. […]

Be Different.

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Sermon on II Kings 6:8-23 delivered Sunday, July 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Durham.Audio from Jennifer’s sermon Who would pass up the chance to preach on this marvelous little story in Second Kings? This is the stuff of campfire story lore or bedtime storytelling. Tell us the story about Elisha and the army he […]

Be Different.

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Sermon on II Kings 6:8-23 delivered Sunday, July 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Durham.Audio from Jennifer’s sermon Who would pass up the chance to preach on this marvelous little story in Second Kings? This is the stuff of campfire story lore or bedtime storytelling. Tell us the story about Elisha and the army he […]

A Shameful Anniversary: The Minimum Wage

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

It has been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Some states have raised their minimum without a federal mandate, but not North Carolina. This 10-year span follows on the heels of a previous 10-year span without a minimum wage increase. Until 1997, the wage was adjusted fairly regularly, even if not fairly regulated. […]

A Shameful Anniversary: The Minimum Wage

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

It has been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Some states have raised their minimum without a federal mandate, but not North Carolina. This 10-year span follows on the heels of a previous 10-year span without a minimum wage increase. Until 1997, the wage was adjusted fairly regularly, even if not fairly regulated. […]

A Shameful Anniversary: The Minimum Wage

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

It has been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Some states have raised their minimum without a federal mandate, but not North Carolina. This 10-year span follows on the heels of a previous 10-year span without a minimum wage increase. Until 1997, the wage was adjusted fairly regularly, even if not fairly regulated. […]

A Shameful Anniversary: The Minimum Wage

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

It has been 10 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Some states have raised their minimum without a federal mandate, but not North Carolina. This 10-year span follows on the heels of a previous 10-year span without a minimum wage increase. Until 1997, the wage was adjusted fairly regularly, even if not fairly regulated. […]

Sanctuary Leaders Threatened by Impossible Fines

By Rachel Baker, Communications Director

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 & Customs Enforcement (ICE) notified over a dozen people living in sanctuary that they owe hundreds of thousands of dollars for not leaving the country after […]

Sanctuary Leaders Threatened by Impossible Fines

by Rachel Baker, Communications Director

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 & Customs Enforcement (ICE) notified over a dozen people living in sanctuary that they owe hundreds of thousands of dollars for not leaving the country after […]

No More War

By North Carolina Council of Churches

Written by Vivian Taylor, Public Policy Intern with Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director The United States of America is on the verge of war with Iran. Long-standing tensions have been exacerbated by the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Deal, and the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. With the […]

No More War

by North Carolina Council of Churches

Written by Vivian Taylor, Public Policy Intern with Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director The United States of America is on the verge of war with Iran. Long-standing tensions have been exacerbated by the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Deal, and the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. With the […]

Let Justice Roll: Sustain the Veto

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Thus says the Lord:For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way… Amos 2:6-7 Sin […]

Let Justice Roll: Sustain the Veto

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Thus says the Lord:For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way… Amos 2:6-7 Sin […]

On Gerrymandering, High Court Looks to States

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

You have to wonder: What would U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. tell that proud North Carolina gerrymanderer David Lewis if they ever came face to face, just the two of them? OK, we can imagine the cynical answer. He’d tell his fellow conservative, most vocal defender of the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly’s tactics to […]

On Gerrymandering, High Court Looks to States

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

You have to wonder: What would U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. tell that proud North Carolina gerrymanderer David Lewis if they ever came face to face, just the two of them? OK, we can imagine the cynical answer. He’d tell his fellow conservative, most vocal defender of the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly’s tactics to […]

No Medicaid Expansion? Just say no!

By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Not to belabor the obvious, but when North Carolina’s elected leaders craft a spending plan for state government, they take positions on many issues that have a moral dimension. And among the budget issues resonating on the level of morality, few if any resonate more loudly than those involving access to decent health care.  Life […]

No Medicaid Expansion? Just say no!

by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate

Not to belabor the obvious, but when North Carolina’s elected leaders craft a spending plan for state government, they take positions on many issues that have a moral dimension. And among the budget issues resonating on the level of morality, few if any resonate more loudly than those involving access to decent health care.  Life […]

Request for Proposals: Art Mural

By North Carolina Council of Churches

Artistic Rendering of the 85-Year History of the North Carolina Council of Churches Statement of Purpose The North Carolina Council of Churches will celebrate its 85th Anniversary in 2020. Founded by eight Christian denominations in 1935 with the common vision of addressing racial inequality, the Council has grown to include 18 denominations, pursuing justice through […]

Request for Proposals: Art Mural

by North Carolina Council of Churches

Artistic Rendering of the 85-Year History of the North Carolina Council of Churches Statement of Purpose The North Carolina Council of Churches will celebrate its 85th Anniversary in 2020. Founded by eight Christian denominations in 1935 with the common vision of addressing racial inequality, the Council has grown to include 18 denominations, pursuing justice through […]

Staying Sane: Gun Laws that Work

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The Mother Emanuel, Charleston, SC, shooting was four years ago today, June 17. The N.C. General Assembly Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Senate Bill 90 tomorrow, June 18. A favorable ruling will move this bill closer to becoming law in N.C. Studies show that more guns mean more shootings. Senate Bill 90 allows for more […]

Staying Sane: Gun Laws that Work

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The Mother Emanuel, Charleston, SC, shooting was four years ago today, June 17. The N.C. General Assembly Senate Judiciary Committee will consider Senate Bill 90 tomorrow, June 18. A favorable ruling will move this bill closer to becoming law in N.C. Studies show that more guns mean more shootings. Senate Bill 90 allows for more […]

Bright Light on Interfaith Life

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

While the headlines tell us about very real instances of violence against faith communities (a synagogue in Pittsburgh, a mosque in New Zealand, a sikh temple in Wisconsin, a church in Charleston and another in Sutherland Springs, Texas, just to name a few) they often don’t tell us about the everyday stories of grace and […]

Bright Light on Interfaith Life

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

While the headlines tell us about very real instances of violence against faith communities (a synagogue in Pittsburgh, a mosque in New Zealand, a sikh temple in Wisconsin, a church in Charleston and another in Sutherland Springs, Texas, just to name a few) they often don’t tell us about the everyday stories of grace and […]

Reaffirmation of Support for the LGBTQ+ Community

By North Carolina Council of Churches

Approved unanimously on June 4, 2019 by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches. In response to recent ecclesial decisions that directly affect people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, nonbinary, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQ+)[i], and by extension each of us in the human family, and in response to increasing discrimination and heightened hostility toward […]

Reaffirmation of Support for the LGBTQ+ Community

by North Carolina Council of Churches

Approved unanimously on June 4, 2019 by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches. In response to recent ecclesial decisions that directly affect people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, nonbinary, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQ+)[i], and by extension each of us in the human family, and in response to increasing discrimination and heightened hostility toward […]

NC No Torture Releases Christian Study

By Brian Wendelgass, NC No Torture Project Coordinator

NC No Torture has launched its Christian study addressing North Carolina’s involvement in the CIA’s Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation program. The study offers a guide for how to prepare, organize, and conduct a workshop that will produce meaningful conversation and reflection. The document is supported by a comprehensive list of primary sources, relevant news articles, […]

NC No Torture Releases Christian Study

by Brian Wendelgass, NC No Torture Project Coordinator

NC No Torture has launched its Christian study addressing North Carolina’s involvement in the CIA’s Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation program. The study offers a guide for how to prepare, organize, and conduct a workshop that will produce meaningful conversation and reflection. The document is supported by a comprehensive list of primary sources, relevant news articles, […]

North Carolina, Gethsemane and Torture

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference introducing House Bill 740 to end North Carolina’s role in torture. All the people who spoke ahead of me told you about what happened in North Carolina and how it happened. They mentioned that information gleaned through torture is seldom, if […]

North Carolina, Gethsemane and Torture

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

The following remarks were delivered by Executive Director Jennifer Copeland at a press conference introducing House Bill 740 to end North Carolina’s role in torture. All the people who spoke ahead of me told you about what happened in North Carolina and how it happened. They mentioned that information gleaned through torture is seldom, if […]

Raleigh Report – April 29, 2019

By George Reed, Former Executive Director

Introduced Bills CRIMINAL JUSTICE HB 834 – Ban the Box would prohibit the state from asking a job applicant about his/her criminal history until that applicant had been selected for an interview. Introduced by Rep. K. Smith (D-Greenville) and referred to House Rules. HB 839 – Study Community-Based Sentencing Alternatives would create a legislative study […]

Raleigh Report – April 29, 2019

by George Reed, Former Executive Director

Introduced Bills CRIMINAL JUSTICE HB 834 – Ban the Box would prohibit the state from asking a job applicant about his/her criminal history until that applicant had been selected for an interview. Introduced by Rep. K. Smith (D-Greenville) and referred to House Rules. HB 839 – Study Community-Based Sentencing Alternatives would create a legislative study […]

Workers’ Memorial

By Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Remarks delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches, at the Workers’ Memorial in Raleigh on April 26, 2019. Genesis 5:1-5 This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humankind, [God] made them in the likeness of God. Male and female [God] created them, […]

Workers’ Memorial

by Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Remarks delivered by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director of the NC Council of Churches, at the Workers’ Memorial in Raleigh on April 26, 2019. Genesis 5:1-5 This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humankind, [God] made them in the likeness of God. Male and female [God] created them, […]