Press Statements

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    let my cry come to you.
Do not hide your face from me
    in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
    answer me speedily in the day when I call.

— Psalm 102:1-2 (NRSV)

The Land called Holy by Jews, Christians, and Muslims is once again the scene of armed hostilities, protests, and fighting. In response to a peaceful protest against the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes, this time from the Shaikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel’s hostile actions have led to an all-out conflagration. The fact that the initial response took place during Ramadan, and inside the Muslim community’s holy al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, was certain to inflame. This situation again causes us to cry out: “So now, O Lord our God, save us [we] pray you” (2 Kings 19:19, NRSV).

The fear is palpable. Palestinians and Israelis are losing loved ones to the violence, including children.  Palestinian homes and neighborhoods, especially in Gaza, are being destroyed with Israeli firepower. Israeli homes and neighborhoods are being shelled with Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza. At the same time, perhaps most lamentably, Jewish and Arab citizens in blended communities within Israel are turning against one another, all this while Israeli Jewish and Arab medical personnel are working side-by-side to save lives. A growing humanitarian crisis among the Palestinians is also deeply concerning.

The violence must stop. We urge Israelis and Palestinians to honor the ceasefire that has been reached, and to end this fighting.

The modern State of Israel was established in the Biblical Jewish homeland in 1948, thereby displacing Palestinians from what had been their own ancient homeland. In that moment, an achievement for the Jewish community, borne of its suffering in the Holocaust, became a catastrophe (Nakba) for the Palestinian community, causing generations of lamentation. Since that time, violence has consistently threatened the fragile existence of all people in the land, and in the region. This threat of violence became entrenched in 1967, when war led to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Since that time, despite the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Israel has systematically appropriated occupied territory for its own in the West Bank and continued its blockade of Gaza. The long simmering anger and expected periodic outbursts have consistently been used to legitimize Israeli oppression of the Palestinian community. 

Today’s violence is no different. While Israelis and Palestinians must take the first steps toward ending the violence, the United States and the international community must insist that they do so.

The National Council of Churches calls upon President Biden to bring his Administration’s weight to bear on both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume talks that would lead to a peaceful solution that is satisfactory to both sides. In doing so, the U.S. must uphold the condition that current and future aid to Israel – financial, military and otherwise — is not used to legitimize illegal occupation and to enable acts of aggression. As the region is already flooded by extremely powerful and deadly weapons and the NCC has consistently stood for the redirection of military spending to more peaceful and productive uses, we also demand that the U.S. cease selling arms to all states in the region as this can only lead to more instability and further deteriorate conditions in the Holy Land.

We call upon the Israeli Government to end the cynical use of Palestinian anger and hostility, which is expected as a reaction to occupation and oppression, as a pretext for continued violations against the Palestinian people. We further call upon Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop the use of the current violence to distract from internal Israeli political turmoil. 

Finally, we call upon the Palestinian Authority to renounce the hostile actions of destructive elements within its society, namely Hamas, even as we recognize the asymmetry of power. We do not condone violence of any kind, and we condemn terrorism in all its manifestations.

We make these calls with our faith partners in the Holy Land in mind. And we pray alongside faithful Christians, Muslims, and Jews, in Jerusalem and everywhere, for peace.

Faith Partner Statements

Statement of the patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem concerning the recent violence in Jerusalem https://www.lpj.org/archives/patriarchs-and-heads-of-jerusalem-churches-concerned-about-alaqsa-mosque-worshippers-and-sheikh-jarrah-families.html

The Middle East Council of Churches renews its call to lift the occupation of the Palestinian people https://www.mecc.org/mecc/2021/5/11/with-the-escalation-of-confrontations-in-occupied-jerusalem

UCC and Disciples Leaders Express Concern and Prayers in Current Crisis in Israel/Palestine

Presbyterian Church (USA) Stated Clerk condemns recent violence gripping the Holy Land

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry statement on the violence in the Land of the Holy One

World Council of Churches Statement on Israel and Palestine

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Statement on Supporting peace in Palestine and Israel

Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc Resolution on Supporting Palestine

Past NCC Statements

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

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8 NRSV

April 20, 2021, Washington, DC – After expressing outrage at the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is relieved that there has been a conviction in the case of George Floyd’s murderer, former police officer Derek Chauvin, in Minneapolis, MN.

This verdict, while welcomed, does not mean that our nation has turned a corner on the problem of police brutality. This decision was made based on multiple witnesses, recorded videos, and nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds of violent and inhumane treatment of Mr. Floyd even after all life was drained from his body. 

It is clear that the problem of excessive police violence has not been solved. We continue to commend and support law enforcement agencies that model good community policing, and in the tradition of advocating for justice and peace and inspired by the prophet Isaiah to serve as “repairers of the breach,” we persist in our call for an overhaul of the justice system that brings about reconciliation and restoration.

“I was able to see with my own eyes that Derek Chauvin was guilty of killing George Floyd and so, too, did the members of the jury. I pray this verdict will help advance the cause of racial justice in our nation, but I know we still have a long way to go,” stated Jim Winkler, NCC President and General Secretary.

“I applaud the jury for a right decision in this case and I rejoice with Mr. Floyd’s family,” said Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq., NCC Associate General Secretary, Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace. “This case highlighted the systemic racism within the policing system throughout the nation. It is my hope and prayer that the nation will now be willing to take a serios look at reimagining a model of public safety that will focus on wholistic care for people and communities rather than policing the everyday activities of living while black in America.”

Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Founder and President, Grace and Race Ministries, Inc. and Chair of the NCC Racial Justice Advisory Committee shared, “Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Those words not only apply to Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, they also present a challenge to our justice system. This case is a mandate for truly seeing the racial inequities in the criminal justice system and the necessity of addressing police reform. Black people are still dying at the hands of those who took an oath to protect and serve. Let’s stay in the fight to improve police training, policies and practices, and provide hope that the killing will end. God will find that we are all guilty if we celebrate today and stop pressing for the needed systemic change.”

“I rejoice in a verdict that affirms that Black Lives Matter, but I temper my rejoicing with an awareness that George Floyd is still dead and his family will never have him back,” commented Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ and Chair of the NCC Governing Board. “I pray that George Floyd will be remembered as one whose death caused a reckoning long overdue, initiated a justice long denied, and spurred on a movement for racial equity that too many died waiting for.”

The NCC remains committed to end racism in all its forms in our nation.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13 NRSV

Washington, DC, April 14, 2021 – The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) again laments another death and the blatant disregard for Black lives after two racial incidents with police rose to national attention over the weekend.

We are weary after learning of the incident in Virginia involving Lt. Caron Nazario last December when the temporary tags on his new vehicle were initially missed by police and he was stopped. Lt. Nazario, wearing his military uniform, explained he was actively serving our nation and was verbally antagonized, pepper-sprayed in the face, and shoved to the ground while asking why his vehicle was to be searched. His injustice is our injustice.

How long, O Lord?

We cry out at the death of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, MN, who was killed by a police officer after being stopped for expired license plates. He was shot by a heavy metal pistol that was aimed at him throughout the incident, a gun that plainly could not be mistaken for a plastic yellow taser. We grieve and pray for Daunte’s family, his father, his mother who he called when he was pulled over, and his child who is fatherless. Their pain is our pain.

How long, O Lord?

We bear the weight of this tragedy during the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd last May after he kneeled on Mr. Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds causing him to cry out, “I can’t breathe.” The agony of Mr. Floyd’s family is our agony; the community’s anguish is our anguish.

How long, O Lord?

NCC joins the Minnesota Council of Churches in mourning and weeping. We uphold their call for the faith community to pray for the family and friends of Daunte Wright; to stand with African American church leaders, church members, Black-led civil rights and community organizations, and courageous young activists; and to speak truth to power for police accountability, police reform bills, and system-wide transformation of policing in Minnesota.

Minnesota Council of Churches Statement on Killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center by Police https://mnchurches.org/blog/2021/04/12/statement-killing-daunte-wright-brooklyn-center-police

Incidents like what happened to Daunte Wright and so many others reinforce the urgency of the NCC’s work for racial justice through its A.C.T. Now! To End Racism initiative. We will continue to fight to end racism and white supremacy and to dismantle the systems and practices that allow them to thrive in our nation.

Recent NCC statements on police brutality and the need for police reform:

Statement on Grand Jury Findings in Killing of Breonna Taylor, September 25, 2020

Statement on Grand Jury Findings in Killing of Breonna Taylor

(Another) Statement on the Shooting of Black Men by Police: We’re Weary But Not Too Tired to Continue the Fight for Justice, August 26, 2020

(Another) Statement on the Shooting of Black Men by Police: We’re Weary But Not Too Tired to Continue the Fight for Justice

Statement of the National Council of Churches on Protests Across the Country, June 5, 2020

Statement of the National Council of Churches on Protests Across the Country

Floyd Murder by Police Officer Is an Outrage, Says National Council of Churches USA, May 29, 2020

Floyd Murder by Police Officer Is an Outrage, Says National Council of Churches USA

NCC Decries Violence Against Two Unarmed African American Men, May 8, 2020

NCC Decries Violence Against Two Unarmed African American Men

God, the Baltimore Police, and Everytown, August 17, 2016

God, the Baltimore Police, and Everytown

A Call to Police Reform and Healing of Communities, May 13, 2015

A Call to Police Reform and Healing of Communities

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. Jeremiah 29: 11-12 NRSV

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) laments the second deadly mass shooting in the United States in the last week. This time in a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, where people were shopping. We cry in anguish that we cannot even purchase food without fearing for our lives in this country.

Our hearts grieve for the ten victims and we send our condolences to their families and friends who struggle now with a numbing wave of grief over the loss of their loved ones. May the heaviness of their sorrow be lifted and may they find peace.

If mass shootings are defined as a gun incident with four or more people dying or being wounded, then in the last week, since eight were killed in the Atlanta area shootings, there have been five other mass shootings in the U.S. including in Stockton, CA; Gresham, OR; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; and Philadelphia, PA, totaling seven mass shootings in seven days.

The unchecked gun violence in this nation must end. In 1967, the NCC adopted a statement calling for Firearms Control while proclaiming at the time that it represented “a long overdue measure which might have prevented much tragic loss of life.”

Over 50 years later, these basic common-sense changes to our gun laws still have not been enacted and they are far beyond overdue.

Today, we again reaffirm, as we did in our 1967 statement, that the God-given “right to life” as fundamental and sacred and hold that it is not possible to protect life and maintain public order when individuals have unregulated access to firearms.

In 1967, NCC called for permit requirements that incorporate “proper identification of applicant (by the fingerprint method if possible), and a waiting period prior to issuance so that an adequate check can be made of the prospective purchaser to verify such matters as age, absence of mental illness, and lack of a felony record.”

In 2010, NCC called upon our local, state, and federal legislators “to enact reforms that limit access to assault weapons and handguns, including closing the so-called federal ‘gun show loophole,’ which allows for the purchase of firearms from private sellers without submitting to a background check, or providing documentation of the purchase.”

“Enough is enough,” declared Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary, “For over 50 years, NCC has professed the need for stronger gun laws in this country to protect lives. The time for action is now. We cannot make any more excuses, because each day that we do, more lives are lost.”

“I stand firmly with the vast majority of Americans who are demanding an end to gun violence and the passage of legislation that requires greater screening, longer waiting periods for background checks, and the elimination of rapid fire guns,” stated Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ and Chair of the NCC Governing Board. “While I do pray for the families whose loved ones were killed, those prayers mean little if they are not backed up with action and legislation that mitigate against the escalation of these domestic acts of terror and mass murder.” 

NCC Board Policy Statements

Ending Gun Violence: A Resolution and Call to Action by the National Council of Churches of Christ, U.S.A. 2010 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-reaffirms-its-2010-resolution-on-gun-violence/ Reaffirmed 2018

Firearms Control Adopted by the General Board 1967 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/common-witness-ncc/firearms-control/

NCC Press Statements

Statement on the Shooting Deaths in Atlanta 2021 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/statement-on-the-shooting-deaths-in-atlanta/

Gun Violence Must End Now 2019  https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/gun-violence-must-end-now/

NCC Laments Virginia Beach Shooting, Renews Call to End Gun Violence 2019 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-laments-virginia-beach-shooting-renews-call-to-end-gun-violence/

Statement on Parkland, Florida Mass Shooting 2018 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/1482-2/

We Mourn This Terrible Act: a joint statement by the NCC and the World Council of Churches 2017 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/we-mourn-this-terrible-act/

We Grieve With Sutherland Springs, Call for Sensible Gun Measures 2017 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/more-guns-is-a-recipe-for-further-deaths/

Statement on Orlando Shooting 2016 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/609-2/

NCC Applauds New Gun Rules 2016 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-applauds-new-gun-rules/

NCC Laments Umpqua Shooting, Asks NRA to Join in Gun Violence Reduction Effort 2015 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-laments-umpqua-shooting-asks-nra-to-join-in-gun-violence-reduction-efforts/

NCC Grieves With Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina 2015 https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-grieves-with-emanuel-ame-church-in-charleston-south-carolina/

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul,
    and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Psalm 13: 1-2 NRSV

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) laments the tragic shooting deaths at three locations in Atlanta and the surrounding area on Tuesday evening. Reports indicate that six of the eight victims were of Asian descent and seven were women, deepening our concerns about the increasing anti-Asian and gender-based violence against women and girls in this nation.

We grieve for those who have lost their lives and send our condolences to their families. May the heaviness of their sorrow be lifted and may they find peace.

While we do not yet know if the shootings are hate crimes, we do know that 3,795 hate incidents were documented by the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center from March 2020 to February 2021. We also recognize that reported incidences represent only a fraction of the number of hate instances that occur against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons.

Since the use of the derogatory term “China virus” was used for political purposes, our AAPI neighbors have experienced a heightened level of discrimination and anti-Asian xenophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic. An alarming series of violent crimes and brutal attacks has occurred across the country while this hateful rhetoric spread. NCC stands with all who live in fear due to the discrimination unleashed on the AAIP community.

Historically, white-only immigration policies in the United States have discriminated against people from Asian countries which was most evident in the Chinese Exclusion Act in the late 19^th century. During World War II, people of Japanese descent were the majority of those suspected of being an enemy and unjustly incarcerated in internment camps.

“We lament the fear and pain that grips the Asian American community and we stand in solidarity with them,” said Jim Winkler, NCC President and General Secretary. “Racism is ensconced in our country’s history which is founded on injustice and white supremacy. We all need to confront discriminatory acts and racial vitriol that deems people as ‘foreigners’ or the ‘other’. In order to end racism, we must dedicate ourselves to changing the hearts, minds, and behaviors of people in our churches and society to bring healing and wholeness to all.”

“I weep at the senseless loss of these precious lives,” stated Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ and Chair of the NCC Governing Board. “It is becoming far too easy for white men with guns to act on what they see as their right to purge from America people they have not come to accept as their equal. I am sick of that, and hope that every person of faith commits to ending racism and gun violence. I also cry out to legislators to take away access to the weapons that these bigots wield.” 

NCC calls for members of our churches to be allies and co-laborers alongside the Asian community by including their concerns in our shared work toward ending racism and by challenging Asian stereotypes in their communities and networks of influence. Sadly, problems in the Asian community are often ignored because of harmful stereotypes which silence our AAPI neighbors when they should be supported.

When violent attacks occur and the perpetrators are found to have acted based on a bias against the victim being Asian American or of Asian descent, we call for their prosecution as hate crimes. To end racism in our society, we must name it wherever it emerges and do everything in our power to root it out and replace it with just, safe, and equitable communities for all of God’s people.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another. Zechariah 7:9 NRSV

After fully recognizing the ongoing crisis in Armenia, an ancient Apostolic Christian nation, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) joins the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church of America to reiterate the importance of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) peace process.

NCC calls for the United States to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid for the people of Artsakh who were forced to flee their homes during the unprovoked attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey that displaced more than 50,000 ethnic Armenians in the region. We plead for the United States to actively negotiate the safe return of Armenian soldiers and citizens who are being held in violation of the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9, 2020. We also urge the broad recognition of the Armenian Genocide of the early 20^th century by all political and faith leaders throughout the United States.

NCC applauds the letter signed by 101 Members of Congress that was sent to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to stress the importance of addressing the “ongoing humanitarian crisis in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).” We commend the strong bipartisan support of this letter toward insuring the well-being of the displaced Armenian people from Artsakh. The United states must address the immediate and significant problems of feeding, housing, and protecting these displaced families during the COVID-19 pandemic and insuring their long-term settlement into permanent residences.

We call on President Biden and the Secretary of State to take direct action and negotiate the release of all Armenian soldiers and civilians held by Azerbaijan. Even though the cease fire agreement mandated that Azerbaijan must free all Armenian prisoners of war and apprehended citizens, Azerbaijan has refused to abide by the agreement. An unknown number, believed to be over 200 Armenians, continue to be held captive. Many were captured after the military hostilities ended. Due to the release of videos, we fear the mistreatment and torture of those who are detained.

We lament of the destruction of the churches and religious monuments during the conflict. When United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) attempted to send a committee to visit the religious sites, both of their requests were denied. According to the 1954 Convention for the Protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, Azerbaijan is required to protect cultural heritage during their aggression. UNESCO’s independent mission of experts must be permitted to produce a preliminary inventory of significant cultural properties in order to begin safeguarding the region’s heritage.

We commend President Biden for pledging to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide of the early 20^th century. Approximately one and a half million Armenians were killed from 1915-1923 during the Ottoman Empire. We applaud both the House and Senate for passing resolutions recognizing the fact of the Genocide during the 116th Congress. As Armenians continue to be displaced and killed, we call for the President to keep his pledge and formally recognize the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2021, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, in order to further the US commitment to human rights.

We call for prayers to comfort those held prisoner, their anguished families, and those displaced from their homes, so that they may all know God’s true compassion and find strength to persevere during this time of persecution.

Previous NCC Statements:

Statement in Support of Armenia and Armenian Church https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/statement-in-support-of-armenia-and-armenian-church/

NCC Calls For an Immediate End to the Armenia/Azerbaijan Conflict https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-calls-for-an-immediate-end-to-the-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict/

NCC Demands an End to the Violence on the Azerbaijan-Armenia Border https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-demands-an-end-to-the-violence-on-the-azerbaijan-armenia-border/

NCC Urges Passage of HR 296, Recognition of Armenian Genocide https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/ncc-urges-passage-of-hr-296-recognition-of-armenian-genocide/

“The effect of righteousness will be peace,
    and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.”

Isaiah 32:17 NRSV

February 4, 2021, Washington, DC – As the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) has been consistent in its history regarding the affirmation of peace with justice and reconciliation among peoples and countries, we denounce the military coup d’etat in Myanmar and stand with the people of Myanmar in their efforts to achieve peace, democracy, and freedom.

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military arrested the civilian leaders of the national and state governments and announced a one-year “state of emergency.” The military arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma’s ruling party; Win Myint, the duly elected head of government; and several dozen other senior officials in early morning raids in the capital, Naypyidaw, where the officials were convening after the November 2020 national elections. The U.S. Department of State has confirmed that these National League for Democracy (NLD) officials won the election by a large margin. NLD officials and civil society activists were also arrested in other parts of Myanmar and telecommunications and the internet have been cut to stop the sharing of information within the country.

NCC joins with the American Baptist Churches, which has a large presence in Myanmar dating back 200 years, to declare support for Myanmar’s democratic institutions and urge its military and all other parties to honor the outcome of recent elections and adhere to the rule of law.

NCC also calls for the home detention of the NLD officials, based on senseless charges, to be dropped. As NCC President and General Secretary, Jim Winkler, met State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi during a 2015 trip with the American Baptist Churches to Myanmar, we are especially concerned for her safety and ability to return to her work rather than a prison sentence for the possession of walkie-talkies.

The NCC calls for Myanmar’s military to abide by the will of the people as expressed in the democratic elections held on November 8, 2020 and to relinquish control of the government. 

We support the Biden administration’s plan to analyze the United States’ current sanctions as it relates to Myanmar’s military leaders, and the companies associated with them, and take appropriate action.

As Myanmar has suffered the longest ongoing civil war for the past 60 years, we call for prayers of peace for the country. We also ask churches in the United States and around the world, as well as all people of goodwill, to pray for freedom and justice for all Myanma people. May God guide them and give them strength.