| | | | | | | Register for NCC's “Rights, Resistance & Resilience; Equipping Faith Communities for Ministry Today” Webinar, Feb. 21 | | | Join the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) for a webinar, “Rights, Resistance & Resilience: Equipping Faith Communities for Ministry Today” on Friday, February 21, at 11:00 a.m. NCC joins our member denominations to affirm the humanity of all people no matter their background, station in life, or immigration status.
New Executive Orders have caused chaos, anxiety, and fear in people across the United States, making it possible for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to enter “sensitive locations,” such as churches, schools, social service agencies, and hospitals to arrest, detain, and/or deport people.
As leaders in the church, it is imperative that we know the rules and regulations regarding our buildings and congregations. Register now to learn more about the steps you and your community can take to know your rights, confront challenges, and find resilience in the chaos.
Speakers include New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Dr. Robert Chao Romero, author, lawyer, and immigration expert, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC president and general secretary, and others! Please note that this training is not open to members of the media or press, to prosecutors, law enforcement officials, or employees of the Department of Homeland Security. | | | NCC Staff Gathers for Hybrid Winter Koinonia | | NCC Staff members gathered in person and online for the Winter Koinonia | NCC staff convened for their Winter Koinonia on Monday, February 10. The theme for the hybrid session was “Voices from the Front Line.” The Koinonia are in-person, hybrid, or virtual staff gatherings that are beyond weekly staff meetings. Koinonia includes guest presenters on a variety of subjects, including NCC priorities, advocacy, staff survey, work relationships and more. Guest presenters during the half-day hybrid session included: Dr. Willie D. Francois, Black Church Center for Justice and Equity Dr. Francois serves president of the organization. He is also a professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary, an author and pastor of Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, New Jersey Rick Santos, President and CEO of Church World Service Rick has spent more than three decades working in the relief, development and displacement sectors and has been a senior nonprofit executive for the last 20 years. Dr. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor, Metropolitan AME Church The Washington, DC church was recently awarded trademark rights to the Proud Boys organization, the result of a lawsuit filed by the church. Dr. Lamar is the former managing director of leadership education at Duke University Divinity School. Jeanne Lewis, CEO at Faith in Public Life She is a nonprofit executive, faith-based organizer, and authority on creating empowered communities. She has dedicated her career to building bridges, closing equity gaps and creating policies that lead to strong, thriving and self-determined cities. Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner, CEO and Co-founder Skinner Leadership Institute Dr. Williams Skinner is a trusted advisor, public policy strategist, faith and community leader, and author. Along with the presentations, staff members engaged in a guided discussion on being focused and intentional regarding its goals. | | | NCC Member Communions, State Councils, Others, Join Lawsuit to Protect Religious Freedom and Sanctuary | This week, a lawsuit was filed in DC Federal District Court in opposition to the recent decision to lift the prohibition of agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering churches and other sensitive spaces.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include NCC members communions, including the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, The Episcopal Church, Friends General Conference, Presbyterian Church (USA), and The United Methodist Church. Additionally, several state councils of churches joined the lawsuit, including Wisconsin Council of Churches, Rhode Island State Council of Churches, New York State Council of Churches, North Carolina Council of Churches, and the Massachusetts Council of Churches. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that rescinding the prohibition on ICE enforcement action at religious facilities violates both the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment protections of the Freedom of Religion. Many communities have described the fear congregants feel at the prospect of being detained during a worship service or other activity. NCC recently joined more than 650 faith-based and civil society organizations in endorsing legislation to codify the protected status of sensitive locations from immigration enforcement actions. You can reach out to your member of Congress to support this legislation through NCC's action alert by clicking here. | | | AME Agency Issues Statement Clarifying USAID Received for Projects | | The AME Church Service and Development Agency, Inc. released the following statement following a White House statement on agencies that were receiving aid through USAID:
Last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt released a list of the "insane priorities" of USAID to justify Elon Musk's dismantling of the agency. Among them was a reference to "1.2 million to help the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency in Washington, D.C., build a state-of-the-art 440-seat auditorium.” This is a gross mischaracterization of a decades-old initiative carried out by AME-SADA.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency, Inc. (AME-SADA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable institution founded more than 40 years ago by five AME (lay and clergy) visionaries as an independent entity with its own board and periodic funding from the AME Church, USAID, UNICEF, and other multilateral and bilateral entities. AME-SADA works in Haiti, South Africa and other parts of Africa, and the Caribbean.
In 1994, shortly after the election of Mandela in South Africa, AME-SADA’s board of directors decided to assist with reopening Wilberforce College in the township of Evaton (outside of Johannesburg) in South Africa. This centenary institution, closed during the height of the apartheid regime, was to reopen under the name of Wilberforce Community College (WCC). A master plan was developed for repairs and expansion of the campus. AME-SADA sought funding from USAID ASHA for the projects listed below.
Summary of Construction Projects on WCC Community Projects August 1996—AME-SADA received a grant from USAID/ASHA of US $2.39 million for the design and construction of the Multi-Purpose Education Facility Building. September 1998—AME-SADA received a grant from USAID/ASHA of US$1,250,000.00 for the design and construction of the Distance Learning Center and six faculty houses. April 1999—AME-SADA received a grant from USAID/ASHA of USD 700,000.00 for the design and construction of male and female dormitory buildings. June 2003—AME-SADA received a grant from USAID/ASHA of USD 850,000.00 for the design and construction of a dining hall. April 2009—AME-SADA received a grant from USAID/ASHA of $1.2 million for the design and construction of a community development center.
| | Groups Sue Over Trump Administration
Pause on Refugee Admissions | A coalition of some of the nation’s largest refugee resettlement organizations on Monday sued the Trump Administration over its indefinite pause of the refugee system, asking a federal court to move swiftly to restart the program.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, aims to immediately revive a system that had thrived for decades under both Republican and Democratic administrations and to restart federal funding for organizations that help refugees resettle in the United States. It is the first suit to challenge the Trump administration’s freeze of the program.
“The impact of these executive actions has been sweeping and harmful for our refugee clients, our staff and our local faith community partners,” Rick Santos, head of the Church World Service, one of the resettlement organizations that filed the suit, said in a statement. “These executive actions have abandoned refugee families both abroad and those who are already a part of our American communities.”
Among those who have been affected by the pause, Mr. Santos said, are two Afghan parents living in Massachusetts whose four children had been set to arrive in January. | | | USAID Freeze Claims First Victims | | Pe Kha Lau, 71, died after being sent home from a hospital that relied on US foreign aid | A 71-year-old woman has died after her oxygen supply was cut off when the United States announced a freeze on aid funding. Pe Kha Lau, a refugee from Myanmar living in a displacement camp in neighbouring Thailand, died four days after she was discharged from a USAID-funded healthcare facility operated by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). She is thought to be one of the first people to have died as a direct result of Washington’s decision to freeze all funding for aid projects for 90 days. Her family told Reuters that she had frequently been sent to hospital in the last three years as she was dependent on a supply of oxygen, but was sent home after the IRC received a “stop-work” order in late January. | | | Resources from Faith Table DigestDemocracy, Autocracy, and GovernmentBlog/Article/Op-Ed Resource Other Blog/Article/Op-Ed Blog/Article/Op-Ed Blog/Article/Op-Ed | | | | | | This Black History Month, African American Voices in Congress (AVOICE) Library unveiled the newly rebranded AVOICE: A Digital Archive of Black Legislative History, and supported by Dell Technologies.
AVOICE has long been a vital resource for preserving and amplifying the legislative contributions of Black leaders who have shaped American democracy. Now, with a modernized design, enhanced functionality, and expanded historical content, exploring this rich history is easier than ever. With these updates, AVOICE remains the go-to digital archive for students, educators, researchers, and history enthusiasts seeking to understand the legacy of Black political leadership. Learn more about the new AVOICE Library in using this link: "A New Chapter for AVOICE: Celebrating Black History with a Bold, Modernized Archive," by Yolanda Raine. | | | Immigration Resources for Churches | Use the link below to access a list of resources for churches to use regarding the new administration's executive orders about immigration. Within these resources, you can learn what churches can do if ICE shows up at the door, different legal services and hotlines available, and online webinars and trainings that the ACLU and other organizations are hosting soon. | | | ACLU Offers Know Your Rights
Immigration Facts Web Page | If Law Enforcement Asks Your Immigration Status Regardless of immigration status, persons have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more below about immigrant rights and how to express them. Resources In Other Languages | | | | | | | | | | | |
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