With 18 denominations representing over 6,200 congregations in N.C., the Council provides incarnational evidence of Christian Unity. By creating unity without expecting uniformity, member bodies collaborate on matters that contribute to the flourishing of God’s creation. We are grateful to the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church for their support and for the leadership on our Governing Board provided by the Rev. Ernesto Barriguete, Conference Staff, Clayton, NC, the Rev. Claire Clyburn, First UMC, Graham, NC, and the Rev. Albert Shuler, retired, Durham, NC.
Currently our priority areas include:
- Anti-Racism Project: A few days after George Floyd was killed, the Council’s Governing Board approved a policy statement that, among other things, called on white Christians to take seriously the work of dismantling racism. To help us see what needs to come apart, the Council staff have put together a 12-series project that systematically examines the structures contributing to racial inequity. Each lesson examines a specific issue from three angles: personal witness, demographic evidence, and the faith imperative. This final piece will also include concrete action items that individuals and groups can perform to start the process of taking down the structure of white supremacy. We hope this resource will be a place to take hold and start acting to end racism. It is designed to be used in group study or by individuals. We imagine it as a pilgrimage of sorts, a way to begin walking toward a world we all want to inhabit, the world of flourishing peace that God already knows we can have. For more information, contact info@ncchurches.org.
- Confederate Monument Removal: Related to the above, but with its own emphasis, the Council has joined the work of the N.C. Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Criminal Justice in their effort to move confederate monuments from courthouse lawns. For more information, contact info@ncchurches.org.
- Our NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL) work is expanding to become the Eco-Justice Connection (EJC). This larger program scope is a multi-faith program focused on environmental and climate justice, while NCIPL will still focus on energy democracy and climate policy. Our program mission continues to be to educate, inspire, and mobilize people of faith and conscience in this state to act on climate change as a moral imperative. For more information, contact susannah@ncipl.org.
- Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) provides tools to help faith communities form healthy habits including exercise, healthy eating, mental health awareness, and smoking cessation by supporting congregation based health ministries with resources and mini-grants. Mini-grant applications will be received June 1 through July 30, 2021. Other PHW focus areas include mental health, substance use disorder, and issues related to healthy aging. Additionally, to assist with Covid-19 vaccinations we facilitated partnerships between the Department of Health and Human Services and faith communities across the state with an emphasis on rural and marginalized areas to aid in the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. For more information, contact phwinfo@ncchurches.org.
- The Opioid Crisis, the Faith Community Responds educates faith leaders about compassionate responses to the growing overdose crisis and offers ways for congregations to become involved by connecting them to resources in their communities, such as a harm reductionist. If you would like to host an event or learn more about this project, contact elizabeth@ncchurches.org.
- Gun Violence Prevention advocacy focuses on telling the truth about gun violence in our country. We know the majority of gun deaths are suicides; the next highest number is homicides, usually among people who know each other or who are related to one another. Our work is to help people understand how guns end up in places that create great harm and what each of us can do to make all of us safer. For more information, contact jennifer@ncchurches.org.
Over the course of this year, the Governing Board approved the following policy statements which can be found on our website along with other statements from previous years:
- Statement on Staying Home (April 24, 2020)
- Statement on Systemic Racism (June 2, 2020)
- Statement on Removing Confederate Symbols Where Justice Is Sought (January 26, 2021)
We craft these statements in keeping with our interpretation of the prophetic witness of the Old Testament and the gospel message of the New Testament.
Currently, other areas of emphasis include living wage promotion, criminal justice reform, Medicaid expansion, and redistricting reform. Resources are available online and our staff is available to help your congregation address any of the myriad concerns that arise in our contemporary setting. If you have any questions or are interested in more information, please contact us at info@ncchurches.org, or call our office at 919-828-6501.
Denominational members include Alliance of Baptists · African Methodist Episcopal Church · African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church · Christian Methodist Episcopal · Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) · Episcopal Church · Evangelical Lutheran Church in America · General Baptist State Convention · Metropolitan Community Churches · Mennonite Church USA · Moravian Church in America · Presbyterian Church (USA) · Reformed Church in America · Reformed Churches of God in Christ, International · Religious Society of Friends · United Church of Christ · Unity Fellowship Church Movement · United Methodist Church.
Jennifer E. Copeland, Executive Director
www.ncchurches.org