NEWS from the National Council of Churches, USA
Contact NCC News Service: 212-870-2252  |  E-mail news@ncccusa.org    |  Most Recent Stories   |  NCC Home


NCC 2005 News Service Archives

Look here for links to NCC 2005 news releases that are no longer among the most recent. JANUARY 2005

January 5, 2005, NEW YORK  S. Asia Trip, Weblog Jan. 7-19 Probes Tsunami-Related Faith Qs

January 19, 2005, NEW YORK  NCC Delegation to Middle East Urges: Make Peace a Reality

January 21, 2005, Washington, D.C. Letter to Bush Says Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Threatens U.S.

January 24, 2005, Washington, D.C. March 11-14 Ecumenical Advocacy Days Focus on "More Complete Moral Vision"

January 24, 2005, NASHVILLE, Tenn. African American Baptist Conventions Hold Historic Joint Meeting Jan. 24-28

January 27, 2005, PHILADELPHIA, Pa. The Benefit Bank ™ Launches in Philadelphia, Florida, Wichita

January 28, 2005, LOUISVILLE, Ky. 2005 Faith-Based Taco Bell Truth Tour to Demand 'Fair Food,' Justice for Farmworkers

January 28, 2005, NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Baptist World Alliance) Festival of Unity' - Four African American Baptist Churches Celebrate Unity

FEBRUARY 2005

February 2, 2005, New York City J  Richard Butler, Executive Director of Church World Service in 1980s, Dies at 74

February 6, 2005, New York City "Barriers Do Not Bring Freedom" Statement of the NCC Delegation to the Middle East

February 14, 2005, Washington, D.C. Theologians Warn of 'False Gospel' on the Environment

February 15, 2005, New York City NCC Board Acts on Development, Security, Middle East, Genocide, Due Process

MARCH 2005

March 8, 2005, NEW YORK CITY NCC Hails End to Consumer Boycott of Taco Bell

March 8, 2005, New York City NCC's Friendship Press Has New Catalog and New Offerings, Including Handwritten, Illuminated Bible

March 14, 2005, Washington, D.C. People of Faith Declare Proposed 2006 Federal Budget Immoral; Hundreds Attend March 14 Rally at United States Capitol Building

March 15, 2005, St. Louis, Mo. NCC Sponsors 'The Effort Continues!," a Tsunami Relief Benefit Concert in St. Louis, Mo., April 12

March 16, 2005, New York NCC Offers Holy Week Bulletin Insert on Tsunami Asian Follow-Up

March 16, 2005, Washington,  NCC Opposes Senate Budget Resolution to Allow Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:

March 17, 2005, NEW YORK CITY NCC Prepares Delegation Visit to Asia March 28-April 8

March 17, 2005, Washington Progressive National Baptist Convention and National Cancer Institute Launch "Body & Soul: A Celebration of Healthy Eating and Living"

March 30, 2005, New York Mainline Protestant churches no longer dominate NCC Yearbook’s list of top 25 U.S. religious bodies.

APRIL 2005

April 2, 2005, New York Statement by NCC General Secretary on the death of Pope John Paul II.

April 11, 2005, New York Statement by NCC General Secretary on the death of Archbishop Iakovos.

April 21, 2005, New York National Council of Churches looks to Benedict for Continued Commitment to Christian Unity.

April 22, 2005, Washington Earth Day Not Just for the Secular; Churches focus on God's Sacred Creation.

April 26, 2005, Washington –  Sixteen national religious organizations today released a joint statement of principles to guide Congress as it considers how to preserve and strengthen Social Security.

April 26, 2005, Washington Religious Groups Gather for 'Justice Wednesday' Pray-in on the budget.

April 26, 2005, Washington Hundreds Rally in Washington as Congress Opens Social Security Hearings.

April 28, 2005, New York Thank you, Mr. President, for a moderating voice.

MAY 2005

May 6, 2005, New York – A historic civil rights organization has joined the National Council of Churches USA in warning against efforts to eliminate the Senate filibuster. 

May 18, 2005, Washington – The Eco-Justice Program of the National Council of Churches USA has launched a new Western Public Lands Initiative to address growing threats to our nation’s public lands and associated resources.

May 25, 2005, Washington NCC applauds Senate compromise ending threat of 'nuclear option'

May 25, 2005, New York A dialogue table begun a year ago between staff and representatives of several Christian denominations and mainstream Jewish organizations is showing signs of maturity

May 26, 2005, Washington National Council of Churches USA General Secretary Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, along with other Christian leaders, meet today with Mahmoud Abbas

May 26, 2005, Washington —In response to “The Religious Left’s Lies” an editorial by James Watt

JUNE 2005

June 1, 2005, Louisville, Ky. ̶ The executive board of the National Council of Churches USA has called on fast food chains to follow the lead of Taco Bell

June 7, 2005, Washington —National Council of Churches USA General Secretary Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar was among top religious leaders who met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair

June 7, 2005, Washington —With fervor and conviction, religious leaders from Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist traditions, urged more than 1,000 participants in yesterday’s first Interfaith Convocation on Hunger at the Washington National Cathedral to advocate for the end of hunger in the United States and abroad. 

JULY 2005

July 7, 2005, New York ̶ The mass transit bombings in London Thursday will not advance the cause of terrorists, the National Council of Churches said, and will only strengthen the resolve of those who are attacked.

July 11, 2005, New York – The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., came to New York Monday to announce a two year campaign to extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

July 22, 2005, Washington Leading non-governmental organizations in the United States, France and Great Britain are urging their countries to immediately sponsor a United Nations Security Council resolution that will mandate peace enforcement operations in Darfur, Sudan.

July 27, 2005, New York – World Council of Churches General Secretary Dr. Samuel Kobia, speaking in Portland, Ore., at the general assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), challenged U.S. churches "to reflect a global perspective rather than an ultra-patriotic 'culture club.'" NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar responded with appreciation for Kobia's challenge.

AUGUST 2005

August 5, 2005, Washington – NCC land stewardship worship and study resource available for churches

August 9, 2005, Washington In remarks today at the Progressive National Baptist Conventions (PNBC) 44th Annual Session in Detroit, the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, told the gathering of Baptist pastors, ministers and lay leaders that it is the priorities and commandments of Christ rather than partisan politics that leads the NCC to advocate for peace, ending poverty and protecting Gods creation.

August 12, 2005, New York   NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar and other religious leaders paid a pastoral visit today on a grieving United Methodist Gold Star mother who is standing vigil outside President Bush's Crawford, Tex., ranch.

August 16, 2005, New York – The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches is urging President Bush to join with Gold Star families and religious leaders in an interfaith prayer service outside the Bush ranch at noon (CDT) Friday

August 17, 2005, New York – NCC expresses shock at the violent death of Brother Roger of Taizé

August 23, 2005, New York NCC says Robertson's call for the murder of Chavez is appalling to the point of disbelief

SEPTEMBER 2005

September 1, 2005, New York The President of the NCC, whose Christian Methodist Episcopal diocese sustained a direct hit by Hurricane Katrina, predicted that people of faith will give generously to disaster relief efforts.

September 9, 2005, New York The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA today described the plans of member churches to aid the millions of persons displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
But the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar warned that catastrophes like Katrina will happen again unless national, state and local governments come to grips with the poverty that left so many people trapped in the path of the storm.

September 9, 2005, New York If it’s happening in the world of religion, it’s happening on WFN, the favorite Web site of the insatiably curious in matters of faith. It has become such an integral part of many Web diets that it’s hard to believe it didn’t exist a decade ago. 

September 15, 2005, New York – Bishop Hoyt responds to Bush: Rebuilding is a great opportunity to realize America's historic dream.

September 19, 2005, Washington -- In an effort to help the nation move forward, the National Council of Churches USA is releasing, “Love for the Poor: God’s Love for the Poor and the Church’s Witness to It,” a 40-page booklet that seeks to help churches engage more fully in prayer, reflection and shared action on behalf of the poor.

September 20, 2005, New York National Council of Churches General Secretary Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar has encouraged churches and individuals to observe National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 24.  

September 23, 2005, New York Sixteen Jewish and Christian leaders returned today from a week-long trip to Israel and Palestine September 18-23 with members expressing the conviction that "we have demonstrated that Christians and Jews can work together to seek peace even when there is disagreement on specific policies and solutions." 

September 27, 2005, New York – Keenly aware of the spiraling effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on millions of Americans, the National Council of Churches USA Governing Board formed an NCC commission to work for the "just rebuilding of community" on the Gulf Coast.  

September 27, 2005, New York – The staff heads of seven international ecumenical councils have sent a letter of “pastoral concern” to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, proposing a meeting and commenting on the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals and other challenges facing the world body. 

September 30, 2005, Washington, D.C. – The National Council of Churches USA (NCC) strongly opposed Congress’ action yesterday which overhauled and weakened the Endangered Species Act (HR 3824).

September 30, 2005, Washington, D.C.  The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA has urged caution on the issue of whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency should reimburse faith-based groups for their efforts to aid victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

OCTOBER 2005

October 20, 2005, Washington, D.C. The National Council of Churches USA, which opposes proposals to cut $50 billion in social programs from the federal budget, praised Congress Thursday for delaying action on the cuts.

October 24, New York – The Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church joined with other church leaders in a special symposium Saturday (Oct. 22) to predict a vital future for the ecumenical movement, although not necessarily in the form of councils and commissions. 

October 25, 2005, Washington The life of the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement was celebrated today by the National Council of Churches. “It is with sadness and a deep sense of loss that we receive the news about the death of Rosa Parks. She was a heroine in our midst—one who taught our nation about courage and determination. She will truly be missed."

October 25, New York  – The realization that the 2,000th American has died in Iraq marks a “tragic milestone,” the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA said today. 

NOVEMBER 2005

Washington, November 3, 2005 Religious leaders came to Capitol Hill Thursday to express their indignation over proposed cuts to the 2006 Federal Budget that will hurt persons most in need, and didn't miss a beat when they found themselves face to face with the Speaker of the House.

November 4, 2005 , Washington Religious leaders will stand together with Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and others in a press conference in Washington Monday, November 7, to condemn the $5.15 minimum wage

November 4, 2005, Washington, A phrase in a letter from 20 church leaders to members of Congress denouncing federal budget cuts would be immortalized in law if Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) had his way. 

November 8-10, 2005, Baltimore Wrap-up of the 2005 General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA and Church World Service

November 16, 2005 Denver Religious leaders and activists hailing from the Rocky Mountain region and beyond gathered in Denver this month to discuss how their faith compels them to "be good stewards of God's creation."

November 18, 2005, New York The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA has expressed deep disappointment in this morning's narrow vote in the U.S. House of Representatives approving a federal budget that cuts programs for the poor.

November 24, 2005, New York For many Americans, Thanksgiving offers a break from distressing reports of torture, terrorism and war.  Should this be so? A Thanksgiving essay by Dr. Tony Kireopoulos.

November 28, 2005, New York  – A National Council of Churches committee has warned that the “No Child Left Behind Act” is leaving more children behind than it is saving, especially children of color and poor children.

November 29, 2005, New York – The National Council of Churches USA and 29 other faith-based groups are urging Congress to end a law they say hurts poor families who need legal advice. 

DECEMBER 2005

December 1, 2005, New York – The general secretary of the National Council of Churches expressed disappointment today that McDonald’s Corporation has chosen to endorse an “anemic code of conduct” for the treatment of its farm workers

December 2, 2005, New York Twenty-five years after four U.S. churchwomen in El Salvador were abducted, raped and shot in by national guardsmen, ecumenical groups around the world are assembling at the site of their deaths to honor their memory.

December 6, 2005 Washington – In less than 24 hours more than 9,000 persons added their names to a letter distributed by the National Council of Churches USA and FaithfulAmerica.orgThe letter, issued by U.S. religious leaders, calls for the release of the four Christian Peacemaker Team members abducted last week in Iraq. 

December 6, 2005, New York Four members of the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad were kidnapped Nov. 27 and are held hostage in Iraq.  The kidnappers have threatened to kill the peace activists by Thursday, unless all prisoners and US and Iraqi detention centers are released.  

December 6, 2005, New York Woo Suk Hwang is not yet a household name in the United States, but the 52-year-old human stem cell researcher and cloning pioneer from Korea is celebrated like a lab-coated rock star elsewhere in the world. A Feature story on the NCC's new Biotechnologies policy.

December 7, 2005, New York  – The influential New York Times has joined with the National Council of Churches, religious leaders and attorneys  to call for an end to a law that restricts legal help for poor families.

December 13, 2005, New York – What do the New York Times, former Congressman Bob Barr, conservative commentator Chuck Colson and the National Council of Churches have in common?

December 14, 2005, Washington – Denominational heads and other religious leaders gathered in Washington Wednesday to denounce the fiscal year 2006 federal budget, with some comparing its congressional supporters to the evil biblical King Herod. 

December 16, 2005, New York—In unusually strong language, the National Council of Churches USA has condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call for the obliteration of Israel and his claim that the Holocaust was “a myth.”

December 16, 2005, New York – The National Council of Churches praised President Bush and Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) Friday for their actions to ban torture by U.S. authorities.

December 19, 2005, Washington  – The general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA has expressed disappointment and dismay about the passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the 2006 federal budget. 

December 19, 2005, New York  – The National Council of Churches today praised the U.S. Senate for its caution when it declined to end a filibuster blocking the renewal of the USA Patriot Act. 

December 21, 2005, Washington – Wilderness is one of earth’s most precious and most threatened assets, and the call to preserve it will be among the National Council of Churches USA Eco-Justice Program’s top issues for 2006.

December 21, 2005, Washington – The tie vote in the U.S. Senate on the fiscal year 2006 budget, broken by Vice President Dick Cheney’s ballot, demonstrates the power of one person to make changes for good or ill, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA said today. 

December 28, 2005, Washington – Faith and community groups will be joined by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during "Let Justice Roll Living Wage Days" worship services, rallies and other events being planned for the weekend of his birthday, January 14-16, 2006.

 

NCC News Service Index