The Governing Board of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) met on April 20, 2021, and, since the meeting was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recorded the largest attendance of members in years.
After prayerful deliberation, the Governing Board adopted, “The Dangers of Christian Nationalism in the United States: A Policy Statement of the National Council of Churches USA” stating that “the contemporary movement, Christian nationalism, is of great concern to the members of the National Council of Churches and, indeed, to all Americans committed to justice and peace.”
Standing with all who live in fear due to the discrimination unleashed on the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the Governing Board approved a “Resolution Against Asian American Pacific Islander Hate” to stand with all who live in fear due to the discrimination unleashed on the AAPI community and will through the work of our A.C.T. (Awaken, Confront, Transform) NOW to End Racism! Campaign, the Governing Board charged the Racial Justice Task Force to expand its work and focus on racism against all who experience it in our country, including the AAPI community.
As the NCC has commissioned the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) to review and update the NRSV, a presentation by John Kutsko to the Governing Board noted that the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue) can claim a well-known line from the 1611 preface to the King James Version: “We never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation … but to make a good one better.” The NRSVue will be released in November 2021. To stay informed, sign up at: https://friendshippress.org/nrsv-updated-edition/
At this time the NCC joins the nation in mourning the passing of Vice President Walter Mondale and expresses appreciation for his work on civil and women’s rights. As a young senator, he co-wrote the Fair Housing Act of 1968, a pillar of federal civil rights legislation and also engineered a 1975 bipartisan deal that ended the two-thirds rule for stopping filibusters, so that 60 senators instead of 67 could cut off debate. When he ran for president, he chose the first female nominee for vice president from a major party, Geraldine Anne Ferraro.