NCC president expresses grief and resolve
over the loss of life in Colorado shooting

New York, July 20, 2012 –The president of the National Council of Churches said Christians across the nation are “surrounding the community of Aurora, Colorado” in prayer following the loss of loved ones and neighbors in a shooting rampage early this morning.

NCC President Kathryn Lohre also called upon elected officials at every level of government to “seek policies that will foster greater peace in our communities and throughout this country.”

According to reports, at least 12 persons were killed by a man wielding three weapons who opened fire in a crowded theater at a midnight showing of the Batman movie, “The Dark Night Rises.” At least 38 others were wounded, according to initial reports.

“May God bring comfort and healing to all, including the families of those who have been injured and killed,” Lohre said, “and also to the alleged gunman and his family.”

Lohre pointed out that the National Council of Churches has been expressing its concern about gun violence for decades.

The Council’s most recent resolution, “Ending Gun Violence, A Call to Action” in 2010, called for a unified effort on the part of churches, government and individuals to address the problem.

The resolution 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.   

The resolution called upon persons of faith to “prayerfully, financially, and otherwise support the NCC staff in coordinating ecumenical efforts for gun violence reduction, including preparing educational materials about the magnitude of gun violence, developing avenues for dialogue among gun owners and gun control advocates within our congregations, and offering a faithful witness in cooperating with inter-faith and nonreligious anti-gun violence advocacy organizations.”

The full text of the resolution can be downloaded at http://www.ncccusa.org/NCCpolicies/endinggunviolence.pdf

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among Christians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches -- include 40 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

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