| Uvalde, Buffalo, and Policing
NCC Newsletter May 27, 2022 |
| | Prayer after the Tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas
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| | Almighty God, there are no words sufficient for the horror of this act. We weep for these dear, innocent ones just as Jesus wept for His friend, Lazarus. Comfort all who ache with overwhelming pain from this evil act. Give us the strength to meet their needs in this moment and be with all who struggle through this extended time of grief. Give us the courage to take bold steps to do all that we can to make sure this never happens again. Amen |
| | | Responses after the Attack in Buffalo, New York
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| | Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Interim President and General Secretary, Meeting Red Cross responders at Bethel AME in Buffalo, New York |
| Second Pastoral Letter from Bishop McKenzie |
| | | | | Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, IL, has published a video tribute to the lives lost in Buffalo, entitled, "Remembering the 10 lives lost in the Buffalo terrorist attack" with a voiceover by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, senior pastor of the church.
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| | Help Children Living in Poverty - Extend the Child Tax Credit (CTC)
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| | Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. Matthew 19:13-15 NRSVue
One in seven children are currently living in poverty in the United States. Many families are struggling to provide the bare necessities because of rising inflation and continued COVID-19 challenges. Studies have shown that the stress of growing up in poverty has lifelong consequences. But we can do something about this.
There is a proven solution - the expanded, fully refundable, monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC). In December 2021, when monthly Child Tax Credit payments were still in effect, nearly 4 million children were lifted out of poverty. At that time, child hunger was reduced by over 25%. Analysis shows that CTC payments helped families put food on the table and pay their bills.
Now, with the expiration of the expanded monthly Child Tax Credit at the end of December 2021 and rising costs for everyday expenses, these nearly 4 million children have fallen back into poverty. In addition, according to a recent report from Moody’s Analytics, inflation is costing the average family in the United States an additional $296 per month. This is almost the amount of one monthly expanded Child Tax Credit payment for one child. If Congress were to make the current $2,000 Child Tax Credit fully refundable and available to all low-income families, the number of children experiencing poverty would fall by an estimated 20 percent. This could help families afford things like food, shoes for their children, or decent housing.
There is limited time for us to act. Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to pass an economic reconciliation bill that extends the expanded Child Tax Credit. Make sure they know it is immoral to prioritize tax breaks to corporations over tax breaks for poor and middle-class families.
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| | | President Biden Signs Executive Order on Police Reform
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On May 25, 2022, two years to the date that George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices with the goal of building public trust and strengthening public safety. The National Council of Churches has been among the faith-based organizations actively involved in advocating for police reform. Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, NCC’s Chief Operating Officer, attended the signing ceremony at the White House.
The goal of the Executive Order is to promote accountability for police and help to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, especially Black and Brown communities where relationships with police has been strained and fractured from numerous incidents of unarmed people of color being killed by officers. The President acknowledged that the Executive Order is one step toward building better relationships between communities and law enforcement but he also urged Congress to pass legislation to provide better protection to communities, greater accountability and transparency for law enforcement, and much broader criminal justice reforms than can be accomplished by the Executive Order. The families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice and others were present at the White House for the signing, including Floyd’s daughter who memorably said that her father was going to change the world following global protests over his death. |
| | | | COVID-19 Pandemic Response: |
| | The Role of Faith Communities and the Road to Pandemic Recovery |
| Faiths4Vaccines, USAID and US Department of State, co-hosted a roundtable, “A Collective Journey: Faith Actors and the Road to Pandemic Recovery,” on May 12, 2022. According to the sponsors, international faith leaders and other stakeholders serving on the frontlines of the pandemic response and recovery "drew from local experiences to examine best practices, policy insights, and programmatic opportunities to innovatively address the pandemic and its second-order impacts, placing an emphasis on food security and disrupted education."
A summary of the event and video recording are available on the Faiths4Vaccines website. Faith organizations are warmly encouraged to share the information within their networks. |
| | | | WCC Brings Attention to Famine in Horn of Africa |
| As the war in Ukraine triggers an unexpected rise in food and commodity prices in African markets, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has shared an article about how church leaders are reaching out to communities struggling with food insecurity and shortages in the horn of Africa.
The WCC has elevated the messages from the region's charities that warn about the possibility of people dying if interventions continue to be delayed. According to the United Nations, the current drought is the worst in 40 years and it's ravaging millions of people—3.5 million in Kenya, 6-6.5 million in Ethiopia, and 6 million in Somalia. Floods and insecurity have pushed 8 million people in South Sudan into acute food insecurity. |
| | | | First Female Bishop of the AME Zion Church Has Died |
| | Bishop Mildred “Bonnie” Hines, the first female bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, died at age 67 on May 23, 2022. She was the 98th bishop of the AME Zion Church and the sole female bishop of the historically Black denomination that dates to 1796. Religion News Service reports that she was most recently overseeing churches in South Carolina and Georgia and was the chairperson of the board of trustees of Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Our prayers are with Bishop Hines’ loved ones and the AMEZ Church as they mourn the loss of a faithful servant and celebrate her life. |
| | | | Join the NCC in Washington, DC on June 18th |
| | It is NOT just a day of action. It is a declaration of an ongoing, committed moral movement to 1) Shift the moral narrative; 2) Build power; and 3) Make real policies to fully address poverty and low wealth from the bottom up. —Bishop William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
NCC is partnering with the Poor People's Campaign (PPC) to mobilize people from across the country to join us in Washington, D.C.. Make sure you RSVP in advance and when you do, select "National Council of Churches USA" as your Mobilizing Partner on the form.
The "Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington and to the Polls" will be a declaration of the power of poor and low-wealth people and our moral allies to say that this system is killing all of us so that we can’t and won’t be silent anymore.
The NCC joins with the PPC to declare, "Any nation that ignores nearly half of its citizens is in a moral, economic and political crisis. There were 140 million people who were poor or one emergency away from economic ruin before the pandemic. Since March 2020, while hundreds of thousands of people have died, millions are on the edge of hunger and eviction, and still without health care or living wages, billionaire wealth has grown by trillions. There are abundant resources to meet our needs, and we march to summon the political will to do so. America must have a moral revolution now. It is time to nonviolently disrupt, protest, shake up and alter the direction of our nation towards a moral agenda of love, truth, justice and equal protection under the law."
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| | | | Job Listings
Legislative Associate for the Mennonite Central Committee - lead advocacy efforts on U.S. policy with regard to the Middle East and immigration, including policies relating to uprootedness, militarization, criminalization, racism, antisemitism and the unethical detention of adults and children. The position includes significant speaking, writing, research, analysis, and networking responsibilities and may include mentoring interns. The position is based in Washington, D.C., and reports to the director of National Peace & Justice Ministries. Apply by June 3. See full job description. |
| | | | Here's this week's faith-related Wordle! We've customized the game solutions to be religion-based each Friday. If you have never played, click on the "Play" button and you will be able to find instructions by clicking the "i" for information. Please share this newsletter with your friends, family, and faith community members who may enjoy completing these special Wordles! |
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