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NCC 2008 News Service Archives

Look here for links to NCC 2008 news releases that are no longer among the most recent.

JANUARY 2008

January 8, 2008, New York – The new general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA has sent messages to church councils in Pakistan and Kenya to assure them American churches are praying for them, and to identify ways the NCC can support the churches in these violence-torn nations.

January 10, 2008, New York – The NCC’s Justice for Women Working Group call upon people of faith to not only observe National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness on January 11, 2008; but to also move beyond awareness to collaborative actions that will end this exploitation. 

January 17, 2008, New York The general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA has signed on to an interfaith letter to Congress urging a bipartisan diplomatic and political strategy that will lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

January 28, 2008, St. Simon's Island, Ga. The NCC general secretary has added his voice to the chorus of condolences and expressions of grief over the death today of Archbishop Christodoulos, 69, who headed Greece's Orthodox Church for 10 years.

FEBRUARY 2008

February 11, 2008, New York – Metropolitan Ieronymos of Thebes and Levadeia was elected by the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church as the new Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, and as the Prelate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece.

 

February 11, 2008, New York – Ruth Stafford Peale bore one of the most famous clergy names in America, and she was widely known as the First Lady of Positive Thinking.

 

February 14, 2008, Belfast, Northern Ireland – Amid historical religious and political divides, a U.S. interfaith delegation met with church leaders, non-governmental organizations, and government officials here to discuss how global climate change can help inform the peace and reconciliation process in Northern Ireland.

 

February 14, 2008, New York  ̶  The NCC's 2008 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches reports on the results of a groundbreaking survey on church health care ministries.

 

February 20, 2007, Washington – A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered here today at Holy Trinity Church for Father Walter J. Burghardt, 93,  renowned Jesuit theologian,  who died February 16.

 

February 21, 2008, Washington – This Earth Day, the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs is marking Earth Day Sunday (the Sunday closest to Earth Day) by recognizing the interconnectedness of poverty and climate change and offering a resource for worship, adult study, and youth activities.

 

February 21, 2008, New York – The Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia’s decision not to seek a second term as World Council of Churches general secretary removes an “administrator with a pastoral heart” from an important position of ecumenical leadership, NCC General Secretary Kinnamon said.

 

February 28, 2008, New York  NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon has joined three faith leaders representing the evangelical, Muslim and Jewish communities to ask President Bush to sign legislation ending torture as an interrogation technique.

MARCH 2008

March 3, 2008, New York – As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice travels to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the wake of the chaos occasioned by Israel's intervention in Gaza, senior U.S. church figures have written calling for urgent action.

March 5, 2008, New York – The editor of the National Council of Churches' annual Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches commends the report of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's survey of the U.S. religious landscape, and said the survey also raises interesting questions.

March 7, 2008, New York  ̶ The General Secretary and heads of National Council of Churches member communions have expressed shock and sorrow at the shootings on the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

March 7, 2008, Alexandria, Va.   ̶̶  More than 700 people are here this weekend for the sixth annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days week-end.

 

March 8, 2008, Alexandria, Va.  ̶  A Mennonite "professor of peacebuilding" brought more than 700 religious peace advocates to their feet this morning with a declaration that security is the result of diplomacy and development, not military intervention.

 

March 8, 2008, Alexandria, Va.  ̶   Ecumenical activists are "hopeful realists," NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon told an Ecumenical Advocacy Days gathering Saturday night.

 

March 9, 2008, Alexandria, Va.  ̶   The President of the National Council of Churches USA told participants in the Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference that Christians have a biblical obligation to help the poor and ease suffering around the world.

 

March 12, 2008, New York – Professor Dr. Lukas Vischer, 81, a Presbyterian scholar and early leader in the worldwide Faith and Order movement, died March 11.

 

March 13, 2008, New York – As the fifth anniversary of the March 17 invasion of Iraq approaches, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA repeated the message: the war has been a ‘disastrous mistake’ and should be brought to an end. 

 

March 28, 2008, New York – The rhetoric of the 2008 campaign is heating up, and the NCC general secretary says candidates should follow the golden rule of ecumenism.

APRIL 2008

April 1, 2008, New York Leaders and member communions of the National Council of Churches USA are extending a warm welcome to Pope Benedict XVI when the pontiff visits the United States April 15-20.

April 3, 2008, Chicago  ̶  The heads of the NCC and UCC and Pastor Otis Moss III today addressed a press conference at Trinity United Church of Christ to suggest the ministries of the former pastor and the congregation have been distorted by some members of the media, and to call for pastors around the nation to address the subject of race on Trinity Sunday, May 18.

April 7, 2008, Vatican City  – An elegantly hand-lettered edition of the New Revised Standard Version St. John's Bible was presented Friday to a delighted Pope Benedict XVI.

April 9, 2008, New York – Symbols & Sanctity: the Objects of Religion, a CBS interfaith religion special produced with the cooperation of the NCC, The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a consortium of Jewish organizations and The Islamic Society of North America, will be broadcast Sunday, April 27

April 10, 2008, Washington – Faith groups and individuals from around the country sent encouraging messages to Congress yesterday as the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Landscape Conservation System Act by a vote of 278 to 140.

April 14, 2008, New York –  An experienced Mennonite editor has been elected chair of the NCC's Uniform Series Committee.

April 16, 2008, New York – Krister Stendahl, a tireless ecumenist who was dean and a member of the faculty of Harvard Divinity School and a former bishop of Stockholm, Sweden, died Yesterday in Boston. He was 86.

April 22, 2008, Washington – Using Earth Day resources developed by the National Council of Churches, hundreds of congregations and communities around the country are celebrating Earth Day this year, recognizing their faithful call to protect God’s creation.

 

April 30, 2008, Fort Worth, Texas – Clare J. Chapman, Chief Operating Officer of the National Council of Churches (NCC) and a veteran United Methodist ecumenist, has been honored by her denomination for "her exceptional leadership."

MAY 2008

May 20, 2008, St. Louis, Mo. –  Addressing the graduating class of the Aquinas Institute of Theology here, NCC General Secretary Kinnamon said Christian unity is advancing through the power of the Holy Spirit.

JUNE 2008

June 3, 2008, New York Hospitality, openness and a common commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ were abundantly evident in Church-to-Church visits to two member communions conducted by National Council of Churches (NCC) delegations.

June 17, 2008, New York A prominent Christian leader in Iraq has lamented that few Americans are aware of the Christian presence in Iraq.

June 23, 2008, New York  State and regional councils of churches are implementing exciting and effective immigration ministries, and the National Council of Churches USA is featuring those ministries on its Web page.

JULY 2008

July 1, 2008, New York –  W. Sterling Cary, former NCC president and still active civil rights leader, warns that racism persists in the U.S. and "cannot be glossed over."

 

July 2, 2008, Washington  ̶ The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice office has honored "green" churches around the nation.
 

July 3, 2008, New York – Former NCC Faith and Order head Jorge Lara-Braud has died at 77.

 

July 16, 2008, New York  ̶  A recent New York Times/CBS News poll revealing deep national divisions along racial lines is an urgent reminder of the need for “sacred conversations on race,” NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon said today. 

 

July 23, 2008, New York  ̶   Plans are underway for the annual General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) and Church World Service (CWS) in Denver November 11-13.

 

July 24, 2008, New York  ̶   Antonios Kireopoulos will represent the NCC at Yale's Christian-Muslim dialogue July 28-31.

AUGUST 2008

August 4, 2008, New York  ̶  A group calling itself "Anonymous," specializing in on-line vandalism, obscenity, and harassment, has stepped up its attacks on ethnic and religious minorities and individual citizens  ̶  and church human rights groups, including the Queens Federation of Churches, are sounding the alarm.

 

August 4, 2008, New York - High ranking Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant leaders have called on the presidential candidates of both major parties to use their primetime slots at the nominating conventions to offer plans for combating poverty.

 

August 12, 2008, New York  ̶  Officials of the National Council of Churches have concluded a 12-day visit to the Middle East where they stressed the importance of Christian unity and interfaith cooperation as keys to establishing "a biblically grounded vision" for peace and justice.

 

New York, August 13, 2008 -- Russia's attack on Georgia is a disheartening reminder that the 21st century remains a  primitive age of fanatical nationalism and military bullying, members of the National Council of Churches USA said today.

 

August 19, 2008, New York -- The World Council of Churches is celebrating six decades of service this month and NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon is asking member communions to remember the occasion in prayer during Sunday services August 24.
 

August 29, 2008 -- Three church leaders have called upon the nominating conventions to cut the Labor Day rhetoric and call for immediate action on urgent social issues.


SEPTEMBER 2008

 

September 2, 2008, New York -- Now that Hurricane Gustav has spared New Orleans a direct hit, many Americans believe their prayers have been answered. But praying for protection from hurricanes can be a tricky thing.

 

September 11, 2008, New York -- National Council of Churches General Secretary Michael Kinnamon offers a prayer of remembrance on the anniversary of a day of horror and tears.

 

September 16, 2008, New York -- More than 100 religious leaders from a wide range of traditions – including the president and general secretary of the NCC and heads of NCC member communions – have criticized “the slow pace of recovery” from devastating hurricanes and have called for a “moral response” to national disasters.

 

September 24, 2008, New York -- The National Council of Churches Governing Board approved an ecumenical response to the Muslim message, "A Common Word Between Us and You," declaring Christianity and Islam share a love of God and "are compelled to find common ground."

OCTOBER 2008

October 2, 2008, New York -- More than 70 persons attended an Ecumenical Conference on Human Trafficking, held at the Church Center for the United Nations September 29 - October 1.

October 3, 2008, Washington -- Churches around the country will be overrun with feathers and fur Saturday, October 4, as children, families, and other congregants celebrate St. Francis Day with a Blessing of the Animals Worship Service.

 

October 8, 2008, New York -- The National Council of Churches Governing Board has approved an ecumenical response to the Muslim message, "A Common Word Between Us and You," declaring Christianity and Islam "are compelled to find common ground."

 

October 8, 2008, New York -- In response to overheated campaign rhetoric apparently aimed at inflaming crowds, NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon has re-issued a call to apply "the Golden Rule" of dialogue.
 

October 9, 2008, New York -- The National Council of Churches is posting a series of monthly "Ecumenical Moments" on its Web page as one of several ways of celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year. There have been some surprises.

 

October 9, 2008, New York -- Before reaching 18, the average U.S. child will witness 200,000 acts of violence on television, including 40,000 murders.  The UCC and Rainbow/PUSH are calling for a fast from television violence.

 

October 13, 2008, New York -- The worldwide economic crisis effects most households, and both major party presidential candidates are expressing their solidarity with middle class people on main street. But NCC leaders are reminding presidential candidates that persons living in poverty in the United States and around the world are hurt the most by the economic downturn.

 

October 14, 2008, New York -- "The persecution of Christians in India must stop!" declared National Council of Churches General Secretary Michael Kinnamon at  rally of the National Association of Indian Christians near United Nations headquarters in New York.

 

October 20, 2008, New York -- National Council of Churches General Secretary Michael Kinnamon has welcomed a call by World Council of Churches General Secretary Samuel Kobia "to quell the violence" against the Christian minority in Iraq.

 

October 30, 2008, New York-- National Council of Churches Interfaith Relations Commission warns against 'Obsession,' which it calls a ‘distorted and misleading’ DVD about Islam

NOVEMBER 2008

November 5, 2008, New York -- Dear Mr. President-Elect, our prayers are with you.

November 7, 2008, New York -- The leaders of the National Council of Churches have urged President-Elect Barack Obama to make health care coverage "a first priority" of his administration.

November 10, 2008, Denver -- The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches tonight began what he said would be an ongoing conversation with ecumenical communicators about the theology of communication and the way the NCC story should be told.

November 12, 2008, Denver -- In opening sessions of a General Assembly observing the first 100 years of the ecumenical movement in the U.S., a nationally known theologian told delegates that the movement has "an historic opportunity to change."

November 12, 2008, Denver -- The annual General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA and Church World Service convened Tuesday for its three-day annual meeting in the Renaissance Denver Hotel in Denver.

November 13, 2008, Denver  The Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, brought the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service to its feet with his rousing sermon on race in America.

November 13, 2008, Denver -- The annual General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA and Church World Service adjourned with a celebration of the past 100 years in ecumenism and a renewed hope that the future of this communion of communions is bright.

November 17, 2008, Denver -- The General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service sent greetings and prayers to the newly elected Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America, which was holding its 15th All American Council in Pittsburgh as the General Assembly met here.

November 18, 2008, Denver Humanitarian and ecumenical leaders with deep roots in the Christian unity movement were feted during the 2008 General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service. 

November 20, 2008, Denver The NCC-CWS General Assembly has adopted a joint immigration reform resolution that calls on the federal government to, among other things, end mass indiscriminate immigration raids on places of employment.  

November 24, 2008   The National Council of Churches will present three one-hour specials in December on affiliates of the ABC, CBS and NBC television networks, and another special on ABC affiliates in early January.

November 25, 2008, Denver   Over the course of three days, approximately 40 young adult ecumenists gathered to explore how they could be in better relationship with one another, work more effectively to be the body of Christ to the world, and how they might add New Fire to the ecumenical movement.

DECEMBER 2008

December 5, 2008, Washington The National Council of Churches' Eco-Justice staff are recipients of the 2008 "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" award of the U.S. Conference for the World Council of Churches.

December 6, 2008, Washington Church leaders attending the annual meeting of the United States Conference for the World Council of Churches in Washington began drafting a message to President-Elect Barack Obama that they plan to send to him prior to his inauguration on January 20.

December 12, 2008, New York The NCC's Interfaith Relations Commission has issued a brochure explaining the dangers of Christian Zionism.

December 16, 2008, New York The death December 12 of Cardinal Avery Dulles was a sad event for ecumenists related to the National Council of Churches USA, both because of the Cardinal's friendship with the NCC's Faith and Order Commission and because of his father's close relationship with the Council in its early years.

December 18, 2008, Washington In a statement issued today, the National Council of Churches urged the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to enforce new legislation banning the use of phthalates in products made for children.  

December 19, 2008, New York   NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon joined Church World Service Director John McCullough and more than a dozen other Christian leaders Dec. 18 in asking President-Elect Barack Obama to ease travel restrictions to Cuba that have made it harder for religious delegations to visit or support church partners there.

December 29, 2008 As the death toll in Gaza exceeded 300 in the third day of Israeli attacks, and as violence continued in other world hot spots, the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA has offered a prayer of contrition and a plea to God to "make war cease."

NCC News Service Index