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Washington, D.C. women gather
to celebrate Circles of Names

Washington, December 10, 2010 -- More than 75 women and men gathered at Wesley Theological Seminary here November 18 to honor the Rev. Drema McAllister-Wilson and other women who have made significant contributions to the ecumenical movement and the lives of the individuals they encountered.

McAllister-Wilson was cited for her work in supporting persons, families and communities facing grief and loss.

The event, one of several local events taking place this fall, was part of the National Council of Churches Circles of Names campaign. The meeting was hosted by Anne Hale Johnson, honorary chair of the campaign.

The Circles of Names Campaign is a project of the National Council of Churches to create a circle of support for women's ministries by asking a thousand persons to give $100 in the name of a woman who helped shape their faith.

In so doing, the campaign will lift up the stories of a thousand women as sources of inspiration and empowerment of the churches' witness for gender justice.

The Circles of Names campaign seeks to build a foundation towards long-term sustainability of women’s ministries and gender justice in the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), the 37 member communions of the NCC, and its ecumenical partners.  

Host Anne Hale Johnson cited McAllister-Wilson, minister of congregational care at Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, as one of those special women. McAllister-Wilson is a specialist in death education.

Professing to be "embarrassed by all the attention," McAllister-Wilson shared stories of her experiences as an end-of-life counselor and said listening to a dying person's fears is a way to give them peace.

McAllister-Wilson, a United Methodist pastor, has been a social worker, pastor, chapel elder and hospice chaplain. She received certification in thanatology in 2006 with specialization in death education, end of life counseling, and midwifery during the dying process.

Among the welcoming voices at the gathering was Wesley Theological Seminary's president, the Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, spouse of the honoree, together with several members of Wesley’s Board, faculty, staff and student body. 

“We were very touched by the extent to which the Wesley community extended gracious hospitality to the National Council of Churches and members of the Washington Circles of Names steering committee,” said the Rev. Deborah DeWinter, Director of Donor Relations at the NCC who staffed the event on behalf of the NCC.

Philanthropist Anne Hale Johnson, honorary chair of the campaign, is chair emerita of the Union Theological Seminary board of trustees, was one of six women to receive a divinity degree from Union in 1956 and she has been an educator and Christian activist all her life.

Dr. Jean Martensen described highlights of the event.

"The presenters moved us with their talks and music," Martensen wrote. "Prayers and lively songs, warm words of welcome, expressions of gratitude to all the local people who had helped make the luncheon such a graceful affair, and cameo glimpses of nominees from those at each table filled us with a sense of privilege to have been part of this event."

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon addressed the meeting on "Gender Justice and the Future of Ecumenism."

“Ecumenism is a movement for justice,” Kinnamon said.  “The NCC, as I frequently remind our Governing Board, is not a social justice coalition.  But we are a faith community that acts on behalf of the most vulnerable members of society because we believe that this is the mission of our gracious, righteous God.  And every justice issue is more pronounced among women. 

“Nearly two-thirds of Americans living below the poverty line are female," Kinnamon said.  "By United Nations estimate, seven out of ten of the world’s hungry are women and girls.  Women make up 75 percent of the world’s illiterate adults -- and not because they are less educable.  Globally, women have less access than men to adequate health care.  And they are, disproportionately, victims of violence -- both domestic violence and the violence of war in this era when most deaths are of non-combatants.”

The Rev. Ann Tiemeyer, NCC program director for women's ministries, described the gender justice projects of her office, including "Words Matter," which explores the meanings of words in diverse cultural contexts, and "Fistula Stories," which explores faith and action to end obstetric fistula in a generation.

The steering committee for the Washington event was:

The Rev. Dr. Gail Anderson Holness, president, Interfaith Conference of Metro Washington; Mary Bates-Washington, executive assistant to the president of Wesley Theological Seminary; Dr. Judith Coats-Crowson, moderator, Circles of Names, Washington steering committee; the Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Esq., founder and president, Grace and Race Ministries; Anne Hale Johnson; Karen McLean Hessel, former program director, NCC Justice for Women; Ali Holness, executive director, D.C. Council of Churches; Kristen Kane-Osorto, co-chair, World Student Christian Federation; Lakisha R. Lockhart, president, student council of Wesley Theological Seminary; Dr. Jean Martensen, Steering Circle, Circles of Names Campaign; the Rev. Janet Parker, pastor of Parish Life, Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ; Shantha Ready Alonso, Eco-Justice Fellow, NCC; Sandra Sorensen, director, Washington Office, UCC Justice and Witness Ministries; the Rev. NaKeisha Sylver Blount, Esq., advocacy officer for racial justice and human rights, NCC and United Church of Christ. 

Persons can honor women in the Circles of Names at their website: www.circlesofnames.org.

Watch McAllister-Wilson address the meeting here

NCC staffer Suzanne Campise gathered information for this 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 37 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./font>

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

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