Contact NCC News Service: 212-870-2228  |  E-mail mailto:pjenks@ncccusa.org   |  Most Recent Stories   |  NCC Home

In a 'National Day for the Gulf,'
faith communities seek healing 

National Day for the Gulf Centered around Prayer for Long-term Healing and

delivery of faith petition calling for Congressional response to oil spill

 

Washington, October 4. 2010 -- Churches from California to Florida participated yesterday in a day of prayer, reflection and healing for the Gulf Coast while people of faith joined together in a petition calling upon Congress to address the Gulf oil spill.

 

The day of prayer, "Seeking God's Grace for the Gulf," organized by the National Council of Churches, was a response to the 4.9 million barrels of oil that spilled into the Gulf earlier this year. The day was dedicated to recognizing the challenges that are plaguing the Gulf Coast and spend time, in prayer, focusing on long-term healing and also to recognizing the need for Congress to respond to this crisis.

Beverly Walton of Beneficent Congregational Church in Rhode Island helped organize her church's efforts. “I wrote an article for our church newsletter with some of the startling facts about the spill and sat outside of the sanctuary asking everyone to sign the oil spill petition,” said Walton.

The oil spill petition is meant to stress to Congress the importance of this national disaster and to ensure that everything possible is done to help the Gulf Coast recover and prevent anything like this from ever happening again. The NCC, its denominations and interfaith partners have collected more than 2200 signatures from people of faith calling on Congress to respond to the oil spill in a moral and faithful way.

”The well may be capped but the damage and struggle will take time to overcome,” said DeWayne Davis, Domestic Policy Analyst for the Episcopal Church. “Our brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast need to know that Congress and America will not forget what has happened. It is not about politics or the elections, it is about helping communities and creation.”

"Since the beginning of the oil spill, congregations and pastors around the country have been in touch with us asking how they can help," said Cassandra Carmichael, Director of the NCC’s Washington Office and Eco-Justice Program. "People of faith are deeply committed to helping one another in times of need and praying for healing and renewal is an important part of the path to recovery."     

 

See earlier story.


Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States. The NCC's 36 member faith groups -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

NASA photo

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 646-853-4212 (cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org

Return to NCC Home Page