Statements

Are you hearing about the 2020 census in your church? If not, you should be! The “Faith Communities Census Weekend of Action” will take place March 27-29, 2020, around the period when people will be receiving 2020 Census notices in the mail.

Recently, faith leaders from across the country convened at the National Cathedral to discuss what communities are doing to bolster participation in the 2020 Census, a once-in-ten-years event that unfolds nationally. This event was part of the Census Bureau’s outreach to the public to raise awareness of the important role of the faith community in gaining everyone’s participation.

The census is mandated by the US Constitution and is the primary method for equitably allocating resources across the country. The Census Bureau has acknowledged that faith communities are crucial to gaining full participation in 2020. This year, the census goes full-speed on April 1st.

“There are no more trusted voices than the religious leaders in this nation,” said Dr. Steven Dillingham, Director of the US Census. “By working together, we can communicate the right message and build trust. Because the census is in fact, built on trust and engagement.”

“For every person that’s left out, that’s twenty thousand dollars that your county misses out on,” remarked Hurunnessa Fariad, head of Outreach and Interfaith at All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Virginia. “That’s huge!”

Even as faith leaders spoke enthusiastically about this year’s census, it was noted that many communities find it difficult to trust the government when it comes to sharing their private, personal information. Others articulated the misinformation that is often spread, and the challenges this presents.

“Part of the specific challenges in Latino, Latina, Hispanic Communities are myths about the census,” said Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, president and founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. “Some people think it’s just citizens that are counted. We need trusted brokers: faith leaders and other community leaders who just say ‘No, the census means everyone is counted.'”

Others expressed concern that erosion of trust in government endangers the participation of minority and underserved communities.

“For decades, the black and brown communities have been undercounted,” answered a member of the Census Bureau staff. “We’ve been undercounted decade after decade after decade. And if we allow fear to cause us to be undercounted one more time, we’re putting power in the hands of people we do not want to.”

“The pulpit is an awesome platform to preach and teach about the census. In fact, in the Black community, the pulpit is the one place where people feel that what they receive is authentic and genuine,” stated Bishop Reginald Jackson of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. “John Maxwell, in his book, ’21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,’ says that everything rises or falls on leadership. And so my comment to my faith partners is what happens with the census, in large measure, depends upon our leadership.”

To find out more about how your faith community can be part of the 2020 Census, please download the Faith communities 2020 Census action guide. The National Council of Churches is a partner with the 2020 Census.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

-Hebrews 13:2 NRSV

This past Friday, an expansion of the travel ban, often referred to as the “Muslim ban,” was announced that will limit citizens of six more countries — Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Sudan — from coming to live and work in the United States.  The initial ban, implemented through Executive Order in 2018, limited immigrants from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela, and North Korea. The National Council of Churches sees the initial ban, as well as its expansion, like other Trump Administration policies limiting immigration and refugee resettlement, as blatantly racist.  

The Administration’s policy toward those attempting to come primarily from Muslim-majority and African nations to the US continues to separate families and keeps neighbors and friends from their children, spouses, or parents.  It also presupposes that people are unworthy to offer their skills or seek careers or educational opportunities. Furthermore, more people who seek life-saving medical care in the US will be unable to get the aid they need. We seek to build a nation in which the immigrant, the refugee, and the oppressed are free to come and find opportunity and make a home.  

This extension of the travel ban is contrary to the spirit of the One who calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40 NRSV).  This is a central tenet of Christianity; it is central to the beliefs of many, if not all, faiths. We are grateful for the life-giving relationships we have with our neighbors and friends, and we pledge to continue to work together with our partners to welcome, and to defend, each other.

See Also:

• NCC Laments Decision Upholding “Muslim Ban”
• President Trump: Renounce the Anti-Muslim Retweets
• An Ecumenical Declaration: Protecting Welcome, Restoring Hope
  

They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
    saying, “Peace, peace,”
when there is no peace.

-Jeremiah 6:14 NRSV

President Trump’s proposed Middle East ‘peace plan,’ titled “Peace to Prosperity,” will not bring peace nor is it a realistic plan. Instead, his proposal – formulated with Israel without Palestinian participation – ensures violence, continued animosity, and further encroachment by Israel on land that belongs to the people of Palestine.

It is for those reasons that the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) calls upon the international community to take up the mantle of brokering an agreement that brings peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians without trampling upon the rights of either. 

For many years, the NCC has joined in supporting a two-state solution, the right of refugees to return to their homes, the dismantlement of the settlements, and the establishment of Jerusalem as a shared international city. This latest plan, developed without input from Palestinians, does not move us toward peace or resolve conflict in the region.

In order to be viable, a nation must have contiguous land with populations secure in their borders and in control of their destiny. The current peace deal does not offer this. The illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory has become normative, both Israeli and Palestinian societies have become restive, and the dream of peaceful coexistence side-by-side has all but extinguished.  Nothing about the new Trump peace plan breathes life into the hope for justice and peace.

Instead of bringing both Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiating table, the Administration has worked only with the Israelis.  Rather than mapping out an authentic Palestinian state, the architects of the plan have put forth a map recognizing Israeli-imposed “facts on the ground” and granting Palestinians the remaining pockmarked non-contiguous territory, which resembles a block of Swiss cheese more than a nation-state.  The plan reinforces the indignity by offering the Palestinians a $50 billion payoff to do what they can to accept this untenable “solution.”

We urge all parties to get back to the hard work of creating a real plan for justice and peace. This land and all the people who live there deserve no less.

See also:

Settlements Contrary to International Law, Immoral

Group Pilgrimage Statement on Israel and Palestine

NCC Laments Opening of US Embassy in Jerusalem

NCC Opposes U.S. Decision to Declare Jerusalem as Capital of Israel

A Message Following the National Council of Churches’ Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, September, 2017

Statement by General Secretaries Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit and Jim Winkler given at the NCC/WCC Consultation on the Holy Land

Reaffirmation of Our Commitments to Peace in the Middle East In Light of the 1980 Middle East Policy Statement

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead
who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest
from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

– Revelation 14:13 NRSV

The National Council of Churches joins with the Church of the Brethren in grieving the death of Rev. Lawan Andimi, executed by Boko Haram, a terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria.  Andimi was an ordained minister in Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), a district leader of the Church of the Brethren, and a leader of the ecumenical movement in his region.

Andimi was executed along with a Nigerian soldier after a Jan. 2 attack by Boko Haram.  His story gained notoriety after a hostage video was released in which he professed his Christian faith.  His execution is only one of many in the past months.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), where Andimi served as chair for the Michika area, has called on all Christians to fast and pray for three days this week for Nigeria. NCC also asks member communions to stand with CAN and join them in lifting up this nation, which has been beleaguered by so much violence, in prayer.

“We have stood by our sisters and brothers in the Church of the Brethren over the past years as they have endured unspeakable persecution and loss,” said Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches. “We continue to pray for the safety of those who follow the way of peace that is at the core of this beloved Church and the Christian faith.”

The Church of the Brethren, a historic peace church, is one of the 38 member communions that comprise the National Council of Churches.  

See also:

Nigerian Brethren district leader and ecumenical leader Lawan Andimi has been executed by Boko Haram
NCC joins call for the release of 234 kidnapped Nigerian school girls
Missions and Peacemaking in Nigeria and at home: Jay Wittmeyer (podcast)
When Following Jesus Meets Boko Haram (podcast)

“For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.”

Hosea 8:7 NRSV

The assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and the killing of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and six others on Thursday, January 2, by the United States, will undoubtedly provoke more attacks that threaten to further destabilize the entire region.  This follows other hostile acts and now dramatically escalates tension between Iran and the United States.

The National Council of Churches is deeply concerned about these hostile acts and urges Iranian and US leadership to immediately deescalate tensions and return to the negotiating table.  We view this latest crisis as a consequence of President Trump’s regrettable decision to withdraw from the JCPOA (the “Iran Nuclear Deal”). We fear where this lust for war and revenge may lead, as the consequences for those living in this part of the world, and even in other parts of the world, cannot be foreseen. Among the first victims of an open conflict will be international aid workers in Iraq and Syria, as well as the children, poor, and most vulnerable persons for whom they care.

¨No good can result from war between the United States and Iran,̈  said Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary of the NCC. ¨We have consistently worked for peace and diplomacy and we will redouble our collective efforts as followers of Christ to ensure we reject the path of death and heartache that results from war.¨

“The National Council of Churches invites our religious partners and members of our communions to pray for peace,” said Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, Chair of the NCC’s Governing Board. “In times like this when the actions of our government threaten to undo the peace we long for, we hope that by lifting up our voices we can help maintain the balances in international relationships that prevent wars from ever starting.”

We reassert our call to the US government to step back from further provocations, and ultimately from the precipice of war, and draw upon diplomats and regional partners to find ways to build peace and prosperity in this troubled region.  We call for respect for the territorial integrity of Iraq and the withdrawal of all foreign military forces from that country. We reaffirm our commitment to join with our ecumenical partners in praying and working for peace and understanding in the days ahead.

See also:

• NCC Urges De-Escalation of Tensions with Iran
• NCC Opposes Reimposition of Trade Sanctions
• After September 11, 2001: Public Policy Considerations for the United States of America

¨Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord,
´You are my Lord, I have no good apart from you.´
As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.¨

Psalm 16:1-3 NRSV 

The National Council of Churches is deeply saddened by the news of a multiple stabbing at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, and of a shooting during a church service in White Settlement, Texas. Both attacks took place this past weekend, in the midst of the holiday season.

Additional antisemitic incidents have occurred recently in Brooklyn, Miami, Jersey City, Boston, Washington, DC, and elsewhere. We call upon churches associated with the National Council of Churches to reach out to synagogues in their communities and express sorrow and solidarity. 

Too many attacks against houses of worship have plagued the entire world in recent years. People should not have to fear for their lives as they worship God, nor should they feel it necessary or appropriate to carry weapons into houses of worship in order to protect themselves. All people should feel safe and secure during worship.

“We pledge to continue to counter anti-Semitism, to work for sensible gun violence prevention measures, and to advocate for policies and programs that will assist those suffering from mental illness,” said Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary. “We grieve for those who have been wounded and for the families of the victims. We cry out to God in the midst of this pain.”

See also:

• National Council of Churches Statement on Anti-Semitism
• United to Confront Violence Against Places of Worship
• NCC Expresses Grief and Lament Over Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka
• NCC Sends Holy Week Greetings, Mourns Violence in Syria and Egypt

Gracious and Loving God,

Our Creator, Our Sustainer, Our Redeemer,

We thank You for the gift of prayer. We are grateful that we can cast our cares upon You and know that You will take care of us. We are thankful that we can be confident in knowing that while in this world there are trials and tribulations, You have overcome the world! Thank You, O God!

We come before you with heavy hearts, a nation deeply divided over impeachment proceedings. Our nation is in trouble. Our nation is divided. Our nation is facing turmoil that we have not seen in a generation. We lift up our nation to You.

We ask, O, God, that You would give our leaders wisdom, insight and courage to lead us in ways that are just and righteous. We pray that they will not bow to political pressures, regardless of where that pressure originates, but instead that they would be courageous and mindful of the responsibilities entrusted to them. In Your mercy, God, hear our prayers.

We lift up the people of this nation, O God, and ask that You would give us discernment to know right from wrong and to act on it. We pray that You would give us courage to hear, and to see, and to listen to those who may have a different opinion than our own. We pray that You would infuse us with Your Spirit that we might be light in the midst of the darkness of this hour. Whatever the outcome of the impeachment vote in the House of Representatives and the trial in the Senate, help us to find ways to be healers, unifiers and reconcilers, which is who You have called us to be. In Your mercy, O God, hear our prayers.

During this Advent Season, we wait with great expectation to celebrate the miracle of the birth of Jesus the Christ. We also pray today that the miracle would manifest itself in our nation and that we would be Your hands, feet and mouthpieces in the world as we take part in the unfolding of the miraculous. In Your great mercy, O God, hear our prayers.

It is in Your precious and holy Name that we pray and ask these things, trusting and believing that they can be so and shall come to pass.

Amen.

The National Jewish-Christian Dialogue, convened by the National Council of Churches and the National Council of Synagogues, meets regularly to discuss pastoral issues that affect the Jewish and Christian communities in the United States and globally.  Participants of the dialogue gathered on December 3-4, 2019, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the heartbreaking shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, which took place on October 27, 2018. This hate crime, in which eleven worshippers from three congregations meeting at Tree of Life were killed, and seven others were injured, was the largest mass slaying of Jews in American history.  We mourned with community leaders, learned of the community’s efforts to heal, and were inspired by the hope that has arisen from this tragedy.  

In light of this horrific assault and other incidents of anti-Semitism in the US and around the world, the Christian participants, representing NCC member and affiliated churches, express our grief and sorrow, as well as abhorrence and condemnation, over the rising tide of anti-Semitism, religious-based bigotry of all forms, racism, and white supremacy that mars our nation and world.  Indeed, even in the past few days, other anti-Semitic incidents have occurred in France, Germany, the US and elsewhere. We again pledge to raise our collective voice to confront such hatred and to continue to work for an end of intolerance and related violence.

In this Advent season as we prepare to mark the birth of the Prince of Peace, himself a Jewish carpenter and rabbi, we lift up the words of an NCC statement from 2017, “Anti-Semitism has no place in our society. Eradicating it requires keeping constant vigil.”  Reflecting on this reminder, we also remember the words of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:  “In the face of anti-Semitism, we are called to speak out – as an expression of our love of neighbor and as our faithful response to the love of God in Jesus. In doing so, we become ambassadors of hope in the face of despair, imitators of Christ.”

We also reaffirm the words of an NCC policy statement adopted earlier this year:  “We have seen and strongly condemned violence and terrorism, and the resultant rise of religious bigotry and extremism… Public and sometimes violent acts of racism, white Christian nationalism, anti-immigrant attitudes, and xenophobia, along with rising incidents of anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious bigotry sometimes committed in the name of Christianity, have created an urgency for the churches and the broader culture to recognize the imperative of interreligious engagement for peace-making locally, nationally, and globally.”

Indeed, as stated by Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary of the NCC and present at the Jewish-Christian Dialogue, “We have heard clearly from our Jewish colleagues the need for our collective voice to be raised loudly and consistently against the increasing number of anti-Semitic acts taking place in our nation and world.  We have been called for such a time as this.”

—

As this statement was being prepared, President Trump, ostensibly to quash criticism of Israeli policy and anti-Semitism on college campuses, issued a new Executive Order identifying Judaism as a nationality.  This is problematic on many levels, not least of which is whether or not the definition goes beyond a religious designation, and beyond a social designation of peoplehood, into a legal designation of nationhood. This is especially concerning when added to recent policy changes made by this Administration relating to Israel and negatively impacting the Palestinian community.  In the end, the NCC sees this EO as an action that deflects from the real issues related to anti-Semitism and that may, in fact, fuel anti-Semitic sentiment moving forward.