| | | CUG Hotel Block Deadline Extended to September 21 | | The deadline to reserve a hotel room in the Christian Unity Gathering (CUG) block in Nashville, TN, at Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Airport, 10 Century Blvd, Nashville, TN 37214, has been EXTENDED to September 21. This year's CUG theme is "Equitable Futures: Paving the Way for Environmental and Economic Justice."
You're invited to join us as we engage in dialogue, presentations, and critical conversations about the intersection of ecological sustainability and socio-economic equity with educators, preachers, advocates, thought leaders, and others.
Take advantage of this extended deadline and reserve your room at this special rate! Share the news with your network of educators, advocates, preachers, seminarians, and emerging faith leaders! | | | | Partner with NCC for Impact: Sponsorship Opportunities for CUG 2024 | | Partner with NCC for the 2024 CUG! Spread the mission of your organization with prominent leaders from across the nation! Through partnering with us through sponsorship, you can participate in an annual gathering focused on highlighting the work of NCC and forging equitable solutions for critical issues impacting society. Don't miss this opportunity that only comes once a year! Learn more about our sponsorship tiers, event schedule, and how you can plug into this year's CUG! For any questions, email: cug@nationalcouncilofchurches.us. | | | NCC Represented at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 53rd Annual Legislative Conference | | From left: Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director of the National Religious Partnerships for the Environment, and Matt Markay, NCC Project Coordinator, at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 53rd Annual Legislative Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12, 2024. | Matt Markay, NCC Project Coordinator, and Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director of the National Religious Partnerships for the Environment, participated in the National Monuments Coalition at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 53rd Annual Legislative Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12, 2024. This year's conference convenes from September 11–15, and focuses on the theme, "From Vision to Victory," and seeks to gather legislators, thought leaders, influencers, and concerned citizens to discuss issues, forge partnerships, and determine pathways to advancing Black communities. The National Monuments Coalition works to advocate for the establishment of National Monuments to protect historical landmarks located on federally-operated land. Unlike National Parks, National Monuments do not require an act of Congress to be established. Instead, the President can establish such monuments under the Antiquities Act. Most recently, the Biden-Harris Administration signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot Monument. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC President and General Secretary, attended the signing of that proclamation. | | NCC Staff Supports Apache Stronghold Rally | | NCC staff attending the Apache Stronghold in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2024. | Keith Swartzendruber, NCC Advocacy Coalition Coordinator, and Matt Markay, NCC Project Coordinator, attended the Apache-Stronghold Rally in front of the Supreme Court building on Wednesday, September 11. The rally called for the protection of Oak Flat, an area located about an hour east of Phoenix, AZ. The site is sacred to Apaches, who call it Chi’chil Biłdagoteel. In December 2014, Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake attached a land exchange rider to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act Bill. The bill included the Oak Flat land exchange, which gave multinational mining company Resolution Copper the rights to build one of the world’s largest copper mines, and the largest in North America. The mine is projected to permanently decimate Oak Flat and surrounding desert features. | | Attendees participating in Apache Stronghold, standing in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2024. | Apache Stronghold is fighting to repeal this land exchange by submitting a case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the exchange is an infringement on their religious liberty. NCC stands in solidarity with the Apache people as they fight to save their sacred land. | | Springfield, Ohio and Haiti:
My Homes, My Loves | By Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
NCC Governing Board Member, World Council of Churches (WCC) President from North America, Bread for the World Strategist for Pan African and Orthodox Faith EngagementWhat happens when good, hardworking, and diverse people with proud legacies of faith and culture meet for the first time in Smalltown, USA, in 2024? What happens when this encounter, initially seen by some as a clash of identities and histories, reveals a shared humanity that deserves dignity, equitable rights, and access for all, as demonstrated by Jesus? A common humanity that is grappling with the global and national realities of hunger, climate change, conflict, war, and poverty?
Recently, these questions have become more visible in my hometown of Springfield, Ohio, where I spent most of my childhood and youth. Growing up in this “purple” world of Ohio, I experienced both generous hospitality and challenges from those who did not welcome minorities of African descent. Yet, like the Haitian community today, my parents also came to the area in pursuit of educational and vocational opportunities for themselves and their children.
Places like Cedarville Bible College, Springfield South High School, the HBCUs in Wilberforce, Ohio (where my parents graduated), Zion Baptist Church in nearby Clifton, Ohio, and the Morris Bean Company were central to our lives. My family, neighbors, and institutions like St. John Missionary Baptist Church and Springfield schools shaped me and made the city my home. This, coupled with a strong faith rooted in a Pan-African worldview, taught me that Haiti, the North Star of freedom during the horrific period of my ancestors’ enslavement in the U.S., was also my home.
This week, former president and candidate Donald Trump said in the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Haitian migrants in Springfield, have been stealing residents’ pets and eating them. An allegation that has been proven untrue. Today, leaders like Governor DeWine have reaffirmed Springfield City Manager’s statement that “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.” He has taken action by providing much-needed financial support for both new and long-standing residents of Springfield. A recent Reuters report also highlights the growth of Springfield, driven by the partnership between old and new residents.
Springfield is uniquely positioned to become a model of what can happen when we choose love and hospitality over hate and the demonization of the so-called “other.” But during this contentious election season, we all face an important question: Will we choose radical love and hospitality, striving to live and struggle together as Jesus and his disciples did? Or will we choose hate, which ultimately leads to death? At Bread for the World, we advocate for a radical love that seeks to address the systemic issues of hunger and poverty, which contribute to the growing number of 117.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.
The love and hospitality I received in Springfield triumphed over hate. This legacy of Springfield and its neighboring small towns and villages is poised to do the same today, not only for our new Haitian residents but also for the many other “Springfields” across the U.S. and the world. | | National Voter Registration Day Approaching: Check Your Voting Status | | National Voter Registration Day, the nation's largest single-day voter registration drive, is September 17, 2024. Don't assume you and your household are registered to vote during this critical election season! NCC has partnered with Feel Good Action to ensure people of faith and their communities are registered to vote. Exercise a critical step to ensure your voice is heard and check your registration status! | | | ICYMI: Freedom Summer Academy and Mobilizing Michigan Workshop | | Access the new NCC Freedom Academy hub on NCC's website! Catch up on virtual the six-week Bible study at your own pace and access the accompanying curriculum and resources on freedom, principles of civic engagement, social justice, and the importance of voting rights from a faith-based perspective. Share this educational and empowering platform with your network! | | | | | If you missed NCC's last stop on the Freedom Ride, not to worry! Watch this virtual event on our YouTube channel or our Facebook page. Featured speakers include Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC President and General Secretary; Rev. Jim Wallis, Sojourners Founder and Director of Georgetown University Faith Center on Faith and Justice; Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State; Rev. QuanTez Pressley, Lead Pastor of Third New Hope Baptist Church; Ponsella Hardaway, Executive Director of MOSES; and Rev. Charles Thomas, League of Women Voters Detroit & When You Vote - I Win. Share this rich discussion with your network in the Michigan area as residents there navigate this election season! | | Mark Your Calendars: Protecting Places of Worship Weeks of Action Virtual Events | | The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will hold the Protecting Places of Worship Weeks of Action Virtual Events from September 16-27, 2024, in partnership with DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, DHS Office of Partnership Engagement, DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis, DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, DHS Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Justice and other federal partners. These virtual workshops will provide resources to help places of worship in securing their communities. | | | | | Join the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc, for the "Critical Conversations: What's at Stake Series" that highlights the implications of Project 2025's implementation. These critical conversations seek to educate and equip attendees to make informed decisions to ensure the preservation of freedom and democracy. Monday, September 16 — What’s at stake if the Department of Health and Human Services is eliminated? (with Rev. Brian Gibbs, Amber Lowe-Woodard and Hon. Rev. Wendell Griffen)
Monday, September 23 — What’s at stake if the Departments of Justice and Defense are eliminated? (with Rev. Dr. Anthony Bennett and Rev. Dr. Earle Fisher) | |
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