Here's what you don't want to miss at next week's Christian Unity Gathering! ✝️

NCC's annual Christian Unity Gathering (CUG) will be held virtually on October 11 - 12, 2021 with the theme, "In New Wineskins: From Pandemics to Possibilities to Promises," based on the scripture in Luke 5:37-39. The event is free to attend. This year’s CUG will explore how church life has changed and what our hope is for the church as the global community struggles to emerge from its pandemics and economic crises while at the same time continuing to grapple with the racial reckoning that is happening in our nation and the world. Can we discard the old wineskins? What will it take to go beyond conversations on racism to fully incorporating equity and racial justice in our churches? Where are new models of racial reckoning/reconciliation? Together, we will examine how to move forward as we negotiate those who are lamenting the old and those embracing the new as well as the spaces where both are happening at the same time. Will you join us to go beyond how we “always do it” and get to a place of possibilities? We invite you to join us virtually to explore what churches must do to honor old wineskins while embracing new ones and God’s promises for a new path forward. CUG SCHEDULE: All times in Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Monday, October 11 10:00 am – 12pm - Issue Meetups Reparation -- Rev. Mark Thompson, Host of the SiriusXM show "Make it Plain" Voting Rights -- Sister Quincy Howard, NETWORK Lobby and Faithful Democracy Child Tax Credit -- Amelia Kegan, Legislative Director for Domestic Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation Student Loan Forgiveness for Clergy -- Rev. Sekinah Hamlin, Minister for Economic Justice, United Church of Christ, National Ministries   1:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Opening Session/Panel Bible Study - Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby, W. C. Brown Professor of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary - Rev. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs Associate Professor of Homiletics and Hebrew Bible, Methodist Theological School in Ohio   3:00 pm - 4:15 pm - Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm with Dr. Robin DiAngelo, Affiliate Associate Professor of Education, University of Washington. Dr. DiAngelo's presentation will not be recorded. This is a live event.   7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Faith Summit – Racial Reckoning in America: A Christian Response A panel with questions from the audience. Have denominational and other faith leaders discuss what they have been doing to negotiate the racial reckoning in the country. Where are new models of racial reckoning/reconciliation? - Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, Presiding Bishop, 5th Episcopal District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church - Moderator - Dr. Richard Hughes, Scholar in Residence, Lipscomb University, author of Myths America Lives By: White Supremacy and the Stories that Give Us Meaning - Opening Speaker - Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - Karen Gonzalez, Speaker, Writer, and Immigrant Advocate - Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman, Conference of National Black Churches - Minister Candace Simpson, Associate Minister, Concord Baptist Church of Christ - Elona Street-Stewart, Co-Moderator, Presbyterian Church (USA) - Dr. Jonathan Tran, Associate Professor of Theology and George W. Baines Chair of Religion, Baylor University   Tuesday, October 12   10:30 am - 11:15 am - Morning Devotion/Opening Prayer and Self Care Session - Rev. Dr. Souci Grimsley, Founder and President, Tuburan Integrative Wellness Ministries - Speaker - Cole Arthur Riley, founder and writer of Black Liturgies, writer, liturgist, speaker - Closing Prayer   11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Keynote Address by Dr. Christine Hong and Q&A Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor of Educational Ministry, Columbia Theological Seminary   1:30 pm - 2:00 pm - Presentation of Outstanding Leadership Awards  Irwin Miller Award for Excellence in Ecumenical Leadership - Dr. Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies and Frederic Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society , Harvard University President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership - Rev. Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, CEO and co-founder, Skinner Leadership Institute Gwynne Guibord Award for Excellence in Interreligious Leadership - Sister Simone Campbell   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm - Panel on Christian Nationalism - Dr. Miguel De La Torre, Professor, Iliff School of Theology and author of “Decolonizing Christianity” - Dr. Philip Gorski, Chair, Sociology, Yale University - Rev. Dr. Obery Hendricks, Visiting Research Scholar at Columbia University and author of “Christians Against Christianity” - Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs, Program Director for Racial Justice, Minnesota Council of Churches - Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University - Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith, Founder and Director, Crazy Faith Ministries - Amanda Tyler, Esq., Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty   4:00 pm - 5:15 pm - International Briefing on the COVID-19 Pandemic - Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith, Senior Associate for Pan-African and Orthodox Church Engagement, Bread for the World - Moderator - Dr. Francis S. Collins, M.D., Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Rev. James Bhagwan, General Secretary, Pacific Conference of Churches - Rev. Joel Ortega Dopico, President and Executive Secretary, Cuban Council of Churches - Dr. Pauline Muchina, Chair, Advocacy Network for Africa, COVID-19 Working Group and Public, Education, Advocacy Coordinator for American Friends Service Committee   7:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Closing Worship For 2021, we will be using an online event service called Whova. After you register, you can sign in on the website using your laptop or computer, or you can download the app for your phone or tablet.    The event is free however, attendees must register through the Whova event platform. For all the details about the Christian Unity Gathering including presentations, sessions, panelists, and speakers, visit the NCC website.

For 2021, CUG will be held using an online event service called Whova. After you register, you can sign in on the website using your laptop or computer, or you can download the app for your phone or tablet. Information on how to use Whova: If you are attending the event and have never used Whova, this is a helpful guide. https://whova.com/pages/whova-app-user-guide/?source=ems You will need to create an account with your email and password. To automatically log in to CUG, please make sure to use the email you used when registering for the event. The app will automatically take you to the event main page. Be sure to set up your profile to network during the event! The Christian Unity Gathering is free to attend. We welcome contributions to cover the event expenses and always appreciate your financial support for NCC’s work. Thank you!