Adopted by the General Assembly of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and Church World Service
November 7, 2007
The General Assembly of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) and Church World Service, convening in Woodbridge, NJ, on November 6-8, 2007, a gathering of leaders of churches collectively representing 45 million Christians in the United States, values its ecumenical relationship with the Armenian Orthodox Church. From the 4th Century, the Armenian community has been a living and vibrant witness to the Gospel that is at the heart of our shared Christian faith. This community suffered through genocide at the turn of the 20th century, with the loss of one-and-a-half million lives through persecution by the Ottoman Empire.
The NCC General Assembly finds it unacceptable that the United States has yet to officially recognize the Genocide of 1915, which in fact decimated a majority of the Armenian population then living in Asia Minor. This year, after repeated efforts to bring legislation forward acknowledging this universally recognized historical fact, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs passed legislation (H.R. 106) condemning this crime against humanity. Unfortunately, due to pressure from an Administration preoccupied with other diplomatic concerns, instead of embracing our country’s tradition of affirming human rights, House leadership decided not to bring this legislation forward for consideration by the full House of Representatives. As persons of faith, we express our concern that the truth was not upheld by our elected representatives.
Therefore, the NCC General Assembly strongly urges the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives to bring forth this legislation before the end of this Congress. We do so recalling the NCC’s long history of support for the Armenian community in its efforts to have the historical record rectified, and its equally long history condemning genocide whenever and wherever it is perpetrated.
Policy Base: “Pillars of Peace for the 21″ Century,” 1999.