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NCC Leads Faith Groups’ Letter to Secretary Rubio on Refugees, International Aid |
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Palestinians displaced take shelter in tents set up at the Yarmouk Sports Stadium in Gaza City, on February 14, 2025. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images) |
This week, NCC sent a letter signed by 38 faith-based organizations asking for the reinstatement of funding for refugee resettlement and international aid. In the letter, the groups appeal to shared humanitarian values and common security as reasons to support robust aid for humanitarian purposes and welcome for those fleeing violence, persecution, and dislocation caused by climate change. The letter called attention to the devastating impact of the cuts. "The President’s freeze on foreign aid and the recent apparent dismantling of USAID by the President’s extra-governmental advisors threaten not only to harm millions of people around the globe but also to undermine decades of carefully cultivated alliances and diminish the United States’ ability to effectively respond to crises around the world. " NCC partner Church World Service (CWS), which works closely with USAID and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, had already announced that it would furlough much of its staff at the end of January because of the cuts and due to non-payment of reimbursements due for services already provided. The cuts have also negatively impacted numerous other faith-based agencies of NCC member communions as well as interfaith agencies that provide humanitarian relief. |
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LAMPa Sponsors “Hope in a Divided World: A Faithful Response to Christian Nationalism" March 7–8 |
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Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) is sponsoring “Hope in a Divided World: A Faithful Response to Christian Nationalism,” with Dr. Lori Brandt Hale, president of the International Bonhoeffer Society – English Language Section, and Amanda Tyler of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, March 7–8.
Discover how people of faith can authentically and humbly act at the intersection of civic life and faith, in contrast and response to the forces of Christian nationalism, using the legacy and theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a guide. LAMPa has partnered with United Lutheran Seminary’s Kindling Faith to offer this event.
Young adults and youth attending Saturday’s presentations are invited to join ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton for a private luncheon. (Congregations bringing a group of three or more youth can receive a discount for youth tickets with the promo code YOUTHGROUP at registration.)
Register to Attend in Person by Feb. 28. Online By March 6. |
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Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Issue Humanitarian Plea for Gaza |
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Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem meeting on 14 February 2025. Photo: Jerusalem Patriarchate |
In a statement released on February 14, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem issued a humanitarian plea for Gaza. “As custodians of the Christian faith and conscience in this sacred land, we raise our voices in sorrow and steadfast resolve in the face of the ongoing suffering in Gaza,” reads the statement. “The devastation that has unfolded before the eyes of the world is a profound moral and humanitarian tragedy.”
The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem reflected that thousands of innocent lives have been lost, and entire communities stand in ruin, with the most vulnerable—children, the elderly, and the sick—enduring unimaginable hardship.
“Amid this anguish, we are compelled to speak against the grave threat of mass displacement, an injustice that strikes at the very heart of human dignity,” the statement reads. “The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors, must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage, and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity.”
As Christians, we cannot be indifferent to such suffering, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem note.
“In this same spirit, we also call for the release of all captives from both sides so that they can be safely reunited with their families,” continues the statement. “We additionally appeal to all people of faith, to governments, and to the international community to act swiftly and decisively to halt this catastrophe,” reads the text. “Let there be no justification for the uprooting of a people who have already suffered beyond measure.” |
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Creation Justice Ministries Releases
2025 Annual Resource |
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Creation Justice Ministries has released its 2025 Annual Resource, The Power of God: From Extractive Theology to Transformative Faith. CJM invites you to download and share this resource as you prepare for worship, study, and action—not just for a single Sunday, but as part of a sustained commitment to justice and care for creation. This year’s Annual Resource invites reflecting on the ways power—both divine and human—shapes our relationship with creation. Too often, power has been equated with control, extraction, and destruction, fueling environmental harm and deepening injustice. But The Power of God challenges us to embrace a different vision: one where power is found in renewal, restoration, and the flourishing of all life. Download, share, and journey with CJM to move from extraction to renewal, from despair to hope, and from isolation to beloved community. |
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WCC Issues Statement in Solidarity with Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem |
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Churches seen along the Via Dolorosa in the Jerusalem old city. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC |
The World Council of Churches (WCC) stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem in the face of an unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem, said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary.
“We denounce this act as a blatant attack on religious freedom and an alarming violation of the historic Status Quo that governs the Holy Sites of Jerusalem,” he said.
“For centuries, the Armenian Patriarchate, alongside other Christian institutions, has safeguarded the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, serving as a beacon of faith, community service, and justice.” Pillay added that the coercive measures taken against the Patriarchate constitute not only a legal and moral travesty but also a dangerous precedent that threatens all Christian institutions in Jerusalem.
“This reckless action is part of a wider pattern of increasing pressures, land disputes, and acts of intimidation targeting Christian communities in the Holy City—acts that the WCC has repeatedly condemned,” he said. “We call upon the Israeli government to immediately freeze the foreclosure proceedings and uphold the internationally recognized Status Quo of Jerusalem.”
Pillay further urged the international community, including religious and political leaders, to take decisive action to protect the fundamental rights of Christian communities and to ensure that the Holy Land remains a place of worship, peace, and coexistence for all. |
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New York Immigration Coalition and NY AG Sponsor Virtual Know Your Rights Workshop for Faith Communities February 26 |
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Pe Kha Lau, 71, died after being sent home from a hospital that relied on US foreign aid |
The Office of the New York Attorney General and the New York Immigration Coalition invite you to attend a virtual Know Your Rights workshop for the faith community on Wednesday, February 26, at 3:30 p.m. The presentation covers: Types of immigration and law enforcement agents Your rights in different spaces and situations Interactions with ICE Interactions with Border Patrol Interactions with local police and sheriffs How to be prepared as places of worship
Closed captioning in Spanish and French will be available. |
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Faith Groups' Environmental Projects Halted by Trump's Climate Funding Freeze |
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Photo: Students plant trees in the West Greenville neighborhood of Greenville, South Carolina, for Community Tree Day in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/RawPixel.com/Creative Commons) |
(RNS) — In the more than five years that Stillmeadow Community Fellowship in Baltimore has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to rehabilitate the 10-acre forest on its urban land, what stands out to the Rev. Michael Martin is kids’ reactions to the “great things in (God’s) original architecture of nature.” Children who are unfamiliar with nature may get the “heebie-jeebies” when they first walk through the church’s walking trails by the stream and the pond, the Evangelical Free Church of America’s Pastor Martin said. But after a few days of learning about their surroundings during summer camp or an after-school program, that nervousness changes so much that the adults have to coax them back inside for music classes. But as a result of President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze, Stillmeadow’s summer camps are now at risk as promised grant money isn’t coming in. And, the urban forestry program that would have allowed others to experience Stillmeadow’s land transformation is in jeopardy, Martin said. |
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Resources from Faith Table DigestDemocracy, Autocracy, and GovernmentBlog/Article/Op-Ed Resource Other Blog/Article/Op-Ed Blog/Article/Op-Ed Blog/Article/Op-Ed |
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This Black History Month, African American Voices in Congress (AVOICE) Library unveiled the newly rebranded AVOICE: A Digital Archive of Black Legislative History, which is supported by Dell Technologies.
AVOICE has long been a vital resource for preserving and amplifying the legislative contributions of Black leaders who have shaped American democracy. Now, with a modernized design, enhanced functionality, and expanded historical content, exploring this rich history is easier than ever. With these updates, AVOICE remains the go-to digital archive for students, educators, researchers, and history enthusiasts seeking to understand the legacy of Black political leadership. Learn more about the new AVOICE Library in using this link: "A New Chapter for AVOICE: Celebrating Black History with a Bold, Modernized Archive," by Yolanda Raine. |
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Immigration Resources for Churches |
Use the link below to access a list of resources for churches to use regarding the new administration's executive orders about immigration. Within these resources, you can learn what churches can do if ICE shows up at the door, different legal services and hotlines available, and online webinars and trainings that the ACLU and other organizations are hosting. |
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ACLU Offers Know Your Rights
Immigration Facts Web Page |
If Law Enforcement Asks Your Immigration Status Regardless of immigration status, persons have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Learn more below about immigrant rights and how to express them. Resources In Other Languages |
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