| ICCR, Song Writing, and EAD NCC Newsletter April 1, 2022 |
| | | NCC Receives Founders Award from ICCR |
| | On March 31, 2022, the NCC was honored as an original founder by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) at a virtual gala, “ICCR at 50: Keeping the Faith.”
In a letter to the NCC, Josh Zinner, ICCR Chief Executive Officer, wrote, “When faith groups first filed shareholder proposals in 1971 asking companies to sever business ties with South Africa until its government abolished apartheid, little did they know they were birthing an organization and igniting a movement that would endure for 50 years. Fast forward to today, and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility’s faith-and values-based members continue to be at both the forefront and center of global investor efforts to promote corporate accountability for deleterious impacts on people and planet.“
On behalf of ICCR’s board, members and staff, Mr. Zinner relayed to the NCC, “we are deeply grateful for the original vision and your abiding faith in the work of the ICCR community.”
Attending the event on behalf of NCC were Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, NCC Governing Board Chair and Presiding Bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; and Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, Past Chair of the NCC Governing Board, and General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.
The opening worship service was led by The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, Chief Pastor, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Episcopal Church.
Reverend Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister of Justice and Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ, gave the Keynote Address, “Keeping the Faith During these Turbulent Times.”
NCC has been awarded a plaque to commemorate its role in ICCR’s founding.
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| | | The Spiritual Practice of Song Writing
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| | | Rev. Dr. Tammy Wiens, NCC's Director of Christian Education and Faith Formation, shares her spiritual practice of song writing which brings together her love of music and her curiosity about God's work. Her video is part of the Spiritual Practices to Sustain Our Spirit-led Work for Justice Series, presented by NCC's Christian Education, Faith Formation, and Leadership Development (CEFFLD) Convening Table to which Dr. Wiens serves as a staff liaison.
In the video Dr. Wiens shares a story about writing three hymns with her husband, Rev. Dr. Sheldon Sorge. One was based on Psalm 62 and was appropriately written during a silent retreat. You can further listen to a recording of the hymn here. In this monthly series, the CEFFLD Convening Table conveys personal stories of practices that have nourished the presenters for the long haul of justice ministries. Faithful action in our communities, regions, countries, and the world, is sustainable when we are spiritually fed by the same Spirit that prompts us to bring Christ's love and justice to bear in our world. Each monthly segment shares a testimony of how a specific practice has been helpful for the faith formation or leadership development of an individual or congregation. The series shares resources (e.g., books, website, articles, videos) that give readers/viewers a chance to learn more about the practice and to use these tools to move forward in faithful efforts toward justice. |
| | | | 22 Faith Leaders To Watch |
| To showcase the diversity of religious voices advancing social justice, the Center for American Progress publishes an annual list of Faith Leaders To Watch. This year's 11th edition includes Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, NCC Chief Operating Officer.
When asked to share how her faith informs her work, Dr. Copeland Tune responded in part, "As a Christian from a Black church context, specifically the Black Baptist church, my faith and my work for justice are grounded in my belief that to be a disciple of Christ and embody the life and ministry of Jesus means to advocate for the most vulnerable in our society." |
| | | | Register for "Housing, Land, and Debt" |
| | | | | View the New Ecumenical Advocacy Days Video |
| | Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) is an annual gathering of Christian advocates and activists who join together to delve deeply into the pressing issues of the day and lift their voices by speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill.
The theme for EAD 2022, "Fierce Urgency: Advancing Civil & Human Rights," calls us into solidarity "to restore, protect, and expand voting rights in the United States and to realize human rights around the world. As people of faith, we know each person to be created in God’s image, imbued with dignity and having a voice that demands to be heard, heeded, and treated justly. We arise in unity, holding up a mirror to leaders of nations, putting injustice on display and tearing down the veil of oppression that obscures the beautiful, God-born light shining from within us all."
Watch to be inspired to join EAD 2022 then register for this immersive effort to advance civil and human rights. |
| | | | | Each week, the NCC offers a faith-related Wordle. We've customized the games to be religion-based in each Friday's newsletter. Instructions on how to play can be found by clicking the "i" for information. Please share this newsletter with your friends, family, and faith community members who may enjoy completing these special Wordles! |
| | | COVID-19 Pandemic Response: |
| | Second Booster for Everyone 50 and Over |
| | As of March 29, 2022, everyone 50 years and older and certain immunocompromised people can now get a second COVID-19 vaccine booster. Also, if someone received the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for their first shot and booster, they can now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
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| | | | "Faith, Global Food Insecurity, Humanitarian Aid, and Ukraine" |
| Support for Ukrainians has included contributions and advocacy for humanitarian aid. What more needs to be done?
Bread for the World and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops are holding a webinar, "Faith, Global Food Insecurity, Humanitarian Aid, and Ukraine" on Thursday, April 7, 2022 from 3-4pm ET. Faith leaders will discuss "the faith we share and how it undergirds our advocacy for, and the resilience of, people affected by growing levels of food insecurity and conflict as a result of what is happening in Ukraine and globally." Register for the webinar at this link.
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| | Monday, April 4, 2022 at 10 am ET the Poor People's Campaign will release a Pandemic Report online which will be followed by an in-person and online gathering at 11:00 am ET in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC to dedicate the space for the Mass Poor People's & Low-Wage Workers' Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls scheduled for June 18, 2022.
For more information and to RSVP to attend the Dedication of Freedom Plaza in person on Monday, visit this link.
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