| | | | NCC Spotlight: EAD 2024 Spring Summit | | Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) 2024 Spring Summit on May 17, 2024. | Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) held its first in-person event this year since 2019. The NCC along with Church World Service were the major sponsors for the EAD 2024 Spring Summit, themed, "Faith in Action: Advancing Human Rights and Peace for All," that took place on May 17-19, at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City-Washington, D.C. Rev. Teresa "Terri" Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and NCC Governing Board member, was among the notable speakers delivering remarks. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC President and General Secretary, also spoke during the opening night of the ecumenical event. The "Voting Matters" workshop on May 18 focused on the newly released "Voting Matters 2024 Election Empowerment Guide," and unpacked the key elements of the guide and encouraged faith leaders to equip congregants and those in their networks of influence to take action and vote. Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President of Sojourners, and Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, NCC Senior Associate General Secretary and Advocacy Director, co-led the session. | |
(l-r) Rick Santos, President and CEO of Church World Service, and Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC President and General Secretary, at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) 2024 Spring Summit at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City-Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2024.
| | Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, NCC Associate General Secretary and Advocacy Director, co-facilitated the "Voting Matters" workshop with Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President of Sojourners, at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) 2024 Spring Summit at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City-Washington, D.C., on May 18, 2024. | | Bishop McKenzie Speaks
at Circle of Mothers Retreat | | (l-r) Bishop McKenzie and Ms. Gwen Carr, Eric Garner's mother, at the Circle of Mother's Retreat held May 17–19, 2024. | Bishop Vashti McKenzie, representing NCC, participated in the Circle of Mother’s Retreat held May 17–19. This annual weekend, sponsored by the Trayvon Martin Foundation, is a gathering for mothers who have lost a child to gun violence or other traumatic event. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie delivered a sermon on being persistent in the face of insurmountable challenges and healing. Ms. Gwen Carr also attended this event. Her son, Eric Garner, died in 2014 from the use of an illegal choke hold by New York City Police officers. Carr is also a member of Mothers of the Movement.
Sybrina Fulton, whose son, Trayvon Martin, was tragically killed when an unauthorized and self-appointed neighborhood watchman shot him for walking home from a convenience store, created the Circle of Mothers in 2017 as a way to empower women and bring together mothers who have lost children or family members to senseless violence for healing, empowerment, fellowship and community building. | | Dr. Garland F. Pierce Honored for Four-Year Term as CUS Chair | | At its 152nd annual meeting earlier this year, CUS honored the Rev. Garland F. Pierce, though his term was not officially expired until this past week when the NCC Governing Board ratified the CUS vote to install Lindsay Black as their new Chair. While CUS has previously elected Chairs from among representatives of the Methodist tradition, Rev. Pierce was the first CUS Chair elected from the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) tradition. As an Itinerant Elder in the AME Church and a member of the Piedmont, SC Annual Conference, Rev. Pierce has served his denomination and the wider church nationally and globally. He has been a local pastor, served on the NCC staff when their offices were in New York, and served the World Council of Churches, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He is currently serving as Executive Director of the Department of Christian Education of the AME Church. In March 2020, the Committee on the Uniform Lessons (CUS) elected Rev. Pierce as its 26th Chair. During his four-year term as CUS chair, Rev. Pierce brought both wisdom and wit to the role as he directed the work of CUS Executive Committee and moderated the business sessions at annual meetings. His colleagues hold him in the highest regard and wholeheartedly attest to his exemplary and sustained contribution to the field of Christian Education across the whole church! | | Lindsay Black Elected CUS Chair | | In a historic move, the Committee on the Uniform Lessons Series (CUS) revised its Handbook in 2023 to open the possibility for the election of a CUS Chair from among participating partners who represent independent publishers. After prayerful deliberation, the CUS, in an unanimous decision during their March 2024 annual meeting, forwarded their choice of Lindsay Black to the NCC’s Division of Christian Education. Last week, the DCE/NCC Governing Board ratified the CUS election. Lindsay Black is Vice President of Discipleship Resources for the CUS partner David C. Cook. With more than 20 years of publishing and ministry experience, her role at Cook is primarily one of partnering with development teams to deliver time-tested resources and develop new products to meet the needs of ministry leaders, volunteers, and students. Black makes the most of opportunities to explore this amazing world and gather with others around a table. Her expertise in curriculum publishing and her keen sense of the Bible as a guide for faith have been, and continue to be, a great asset to the CUS collaborative process. Black has faithfully attended CUS annual meetings for more than a decade and during that time has served with creativity and thoroughness on the Youth Age Level team. In 2016, she was elected to the CUS Executive Committee as Vice Chair and served three consecutive terms. She will serve as CUS Chair for a three-year term. | | NCC To Join Poor People’s Campaign for Upcoming March, June 29 | | | | NCC is a proud anchor partner with the Poor People's Campaign's "Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington, D.C. and to the Polls" happening at 3rd & Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., on June 29, at 10 a.m. Join us as we push for public policy changes for a moral revival across the nation and advocate for voter engagement.
| | | Mark Your Calendars: NCC Impact Week | | Be on the lookout for registration details for NCC's Impact Week, which will address international and domestic issues that affect our global community. Please share the forthcoming details with your network of change agents! | | NCC Gears Up for NCC Freedom Summer Launch and Multi-State Tour | | Join the National Council of the Churches of Christ for NCC's Freedom Summer initiative from June 19 — August 17, 2024. This faith-based civic engagement campaign commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Freedom Summer effort that registered voters while aiming to integrate Mississippi's political system. This summer, NCC will mobilize voters in five priority states (Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan) through voter registration, voter education, and voter mobilization. The campaign will also include a multi-week "Sunday School" and more. Get a head start on empowering voters before the campaign by downloading NCC's new "Voting Matters 2024 Election Empowerment Guide," which assists faith leaders, clergy, and lay people to prepare voters in their community to vote their values with confidence.
For more information about the movement, contact freedomsummer@nationalcouncilofchurches.us today! | | | NCC's Publisher, Friendship Press,
Seeks New CEO | | Friendship Press is accepting applications for their Chief Executive Officer position. The successful candidate will oversee the program, which serves as the publisher for the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, as it continues carrying out its commitment to justice, fairness, and the welfare of all people. Apply today and make an impact! | | | Register for Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. | | Register to attend Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit taking place at InterContinental Washington, D.C. - The Wharf, from June 10-11. This year's Summit is themed, "Nourish Our Future," and will feature various guest speakers, subject-matter experts, and include status presentations on current policies and discussions on best practices for addressing hunger through policy and programs funded by the federal government. There will be invitation-only sessions before the main programs begin on Day 1 of the Summit. The Pan-African Consultation and Latino Convening will discuss food insecurity in Pan-African/Black and Latino communities. For more information about these sessions, please email advocacysummit@bread.org. The deadline to register for Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit is June 3, 2024.
| | | Religions for Peace USA Webinar to Discuss Trends in Global Restrictions on Religion | | Religions for Peace USA is hosting a webinar titled, "Trends in Global Restrictions on Religion," on Thursday, May 23, at 2 p.m. ET. Learn how restrictions on religion have changed throughout time and what has been revealed through research at various levels. | | |
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