This year, the Council has been celebrating its 85th Anniversary. The North Carolina Council of Churches was founded in 1935 through the courageous leadership of Shelton Smith and other prominent faith leaders in N.C. who believed the unity of faith communities could overcome the injustice of racism. We are a statewide ecumenical organization promoting Christian unity and working towards a more just society. We are comprised of 26 distinct judicatories from 18 denominations. Across the state, our members have over 6,200 congregations with about 1.5 million congregants. The Council enables denominations, congregations, and people of faith to impact our state on issues such as economic justice and development, human well-being, equality, compassion and peace, following the example and mission of Jesus Christ. Hear from our Executive Director, fellow board members, and faith-based allies about how the Council continues to advocate for our neighbors, and how you can get involved.
Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election
In August and September, we hosted an eight-week forum series detailing the important issues facing us this election as outlined in the “Democracy, Values, & the 2020 Election” voter reflection guide (produced by Interfaith Power & Light in partnership with Faith in Public Life). This nonpartisan guide addresses the urgent moral issues of justice for immigrants, economic dignity, care for creation and climate change, racism and criminal justice reform, democracy and voting rights, health care and the coronavirus pandemic, and global peace building at stake in this election and beyond. To download a copy of the voter guide, fill out the form at bit.ly/2020-faith-voter-guide.
The eighth and final forum in our series that took place on Wednesday, September 30th, focused on what it means to stand up for, and vote on, global common good and peace. We were joined by David LaMotte, activist and musician; Gareth Higgins, writer, and founder of the Wild Goose Festival; Rev. Rodney Sadler of MeckMin; and Pastor Laticia Godette of the AME Zion Church. We engaged in conversation about how people of faith can be beacons of peace and justice during this election season, and hear one last time the deep importance of our vote. To watch this forum, you can access it on our Facebook page bit.ly/FB-live-forum-peace, or on YouTube at bit.ly/YT-forum-peace.
Thank you for standing by us and with us as we #VoteOurValues together! #LoveWins
God of the Movements and Martyrs
On Monday, June 15th, we commissioned the hymn “God of the Movements and Martyrs” in honor of the Council’s 85th Anniversary. Special thanks to singer/songwriter David LaMotte for composing this beautiful piece. We hope you feel the joy of the Spirit in this wonderful work of art as much as we do! To view other arrangements of the hymn, visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NorthCarolinaCouncilofChurches/videos/?ref=page_internal, or our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoeeuy4zqgzq8k4n0LIVGTA. Visit https://www.ncchurches.org/store/ to purchase a copy of this hymn. (Please use CCLI code 7153770 for licensing.)
Be a Faith Climate Voter
We believe that our elected leaders and our public policies should reflect our shared values. When our shared values are reflected in this way, we can truly live together in beloved communities. By standing with us and pledging to be a consistent voter and vote with climate justice in mind, you are communicating the values of caring for God’s Creation and our children’s future.
You pledge to vote. We remind you to keep your word. It’s so easy, and it works. Take the pledge here: http://www.ncchurches.org/be-a-faith-climate-voter/ . Learn more about how NC Council of Churches supports environmental issues through its program, NC Interfaith Power and Light.