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| | | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to Participate in NCC Initiative to End Racism
As our nation observes the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is proud to announce that it will participate in an ecumenical initiative to end racism. The process will begin in April with the public gathering of the 38 member communions of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) and all people of good will to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination.
On the evening of April 3rd, religious and civic leaders will join the faithful and take part in the Orthodox Christian service of Holy Tuesday at the Greek Orthodox National Cathedral of Saint Sophia, hosted by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America. The hymnology will reflect upon the importance of repentance and reconciliation, central components to any process to end racism. A public rally is also planned on the National Mall on April 4th and is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people from across the country.
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| | | The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Takes A Stand Against The Racist Rhetoric and Social Policies Of the Trump Administration
Since its inauguration, the AME Church has consistently opposed the racist rhetoric and social policies of the Trump Administration. We have issued formal statements, published editorials, encouraged our members to engage with ecumenical partners, and visit public officials to advocate for all of God's people.
When the Trump Administration announced that the temporary protective status (TPS) granted to Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua would be revoked in 2019, we urged our church leaders, members, and friends to organize against this racist immigration policy. While it took the US President 15 hours to deny his alleged “s**thole remarks”, there is no denial of his previous statements maligning Mexicans as "rapists", Haitians carrying "AIDS", Nigerians living in "huts". We continue to abhor and be alarmed by the bigoted rhetoric of a US President that is only outdone by his immigration policies which can be construed as a war on people of color.
Recognizing that the President claims he did not use profanity, US Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), asserts that the President made the “vile” and “hateful” remarks.
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NBCA's Response to President Trump's Racial Statement
On January 11th, only a few days into the new year of 2018, much of America has been braving severe cold weather. From blizzards to the north, snow flurries through mid-American borders and unusually cooler weather in the State of Florida, winter has left its mark on all of us.
Much the same could be said of the White House and the cold and frigid comments which ring almost daily from the lips or fingers of Donald Trump. This unthoughtful and racist rhetoric further divides a nation and continues to erode our national presence on the world stage.
With the apparent natural presence of winter upon us, much preparation has been put in place to make this season as bearable as possible. But what's being done about the unusually winter of words brought about from an American president? How has America prepared herself to curb and reduce the chilly statements that most times pit Blacks against whites, Democrats against Republicans and males against females. How are we combating this brutal winter from the White House with its policies and racist statements flowing from this president? Silence seems to be the stance of most Republican leaders and complacency by the rest.
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| | | United Methodist bishops condemn President Trump’s “offensive” remarks against immigrants
Bishop Bruce R. Ough, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, issued a statement today on behalf of the Council concerning remarks reported to have been made by President Donald Trump regarding immigrants. The statement follows:
We are appalled by the offensive, disgusting words attributed to President Donald Trump who is said to have referred to immigrants from African countries and Haiti, and the countries themselves, in an insulting and derogative manner. According to various media accounts, President Trump made the remarks during a White House discussion with lawmakers on immigration.
As reported, President Trump’s words are not only offensive and harmful, they are racist.
We call upon all Christians, especially United Methodists, to condemn this characterization and further call for President Trump to apologize.
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| | | ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton Comments on Recent Trump Remarks
I am very disappointed and disturbed by the remarks that President Donald Trump is
reported to have said yesterday – and confirmed by others who were present – in the
context of a discussion about immigration.
Regardless of the context, references of that kind have no place in our civil discourse
and, if true, reflect racist attitudes unbecoming any of us, but especially a president of
the United States.
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| | | NCC Condemns Obscene Remarks by President Trump
President Trump’s obscene remarks, reported yesterday — in which he described Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries as “s***thole countries” — were deeply disturbing. The National Council of Churches unequivocally condemns these statements.
Further, President Trump’s stated preference for immigrants from nations such as Norway, combined with numerous other comments he has made over past years, reveals a deep-seated racism that is unacceptable. These attitudes must be publicly rejected by all people of faith. The very soul of our nation is at stake.
As Dr. King said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.” We cannot remain silent at a time like this in the life of our nation.
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“Solidarity more powerful than darkness”
Amid continuing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Christians in Seoul are hoping the fragile light of candles will illumine a path to peace. Along with Christian groups around the world, they are holding candlelight vigils for peace during the season of Advent.
“The situation is bad. Powerful countries like to fight. But during this Advent season we gather to light candles and pray for the peaceful reunification of Korea, because even a small candle can illumine our path. Togetherness and solidarity are more powerful than darkness,” said the Rev. Lee Chung Jae, general secretary of the National Council of YMCAs of Korea.
The YMCA sponsored a chilly 9 December candlelight vigil in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. It was the last of seven daily candlelight vigils in Seoul. For the remainder of Advent, similar vigils will be held in towns and villages across the country, according to the Rev. Lee Hong-jung, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea.
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Also: WCC says future of Jerusalem must be a shared one
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit addressed the status of Jerusalem at the international "World Conference in Support of Jerusalem" on 17-18 January in Cairo, Egypt, organized by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh al-Tayyib, under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
In his address, Tveit stressed in particular how “The future of Jerusalem must be a shared one. It cannot be the exclusive possession of one faith over against the others, or of one people over against the other. Jerusalem is, and must continue to be, a city of three religions and two peoples.”
“Jerusalem is regarded as a holy city and loved, genuinely and deeply loved, by all three Abrahamic faiths – Jews, Christians and Muslims,” Tveit said. “That love and profound attachment must be respected and affirmed in any solution that might be envisaged, if it is to be viable.”
“In the New Testament, we read of how Jesus Christ wept over this city with love and longing. “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!” Tveit reflected quoting Luke 19:42, and continued “Following Jesus’ word and example means to speak truth, to seek justice, and to be peacemakers in the world’s conflicts and controversies.”
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| | | Social Justice Activist, AME Bishop John Hurst Adams to be Laid to Rest in Atlanta
John Hurst Adams, a civil rights activist and retired bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, will be memorialized during funeral services on Jan. 20 at Flipper Temple A.M.E. Church in Atlanta Ga.
Adams died Jan. 10 at the age of 90.
The minister was not only a respected religious leader but also a social justice activist. A contemporary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (they attended Boston University during the same period), Adams was a known figure at many MLK-led marches.
“He had zero tolerance for injustice,” said J.T. McLawhorn, director of the Columbia Urban League who worked with Adams addressing social justice issues in South Carolina, according The State newspaper. “He was not just a rabble-rouser just to cause disruption. He was concerned about the betterment of society as a whole.”
Adams was born on Nov. 27, 1927, in Columbia, S.C., to homemaker Charity Nash Adams and the Rev. Eugene Avery Adams, an African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) minister and educator.
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A World Uprooted: Responding to Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People
FRIDAY, APRIL 20 – MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018 DOUBLETREE BY HILTON, CRYSTAL CITY – WASHINGTON, D.C.,
ARMY-NAVY DR., ARLINGTON, VA.
We live in a time of upheaval and uprootedness – a world in which each year millions of people cross borders in search of more secure and sustainable lives, while white supremacist ideologies continue to impede the fight for justice and peace for all of God’s people. As we witness historically high levels of migration, we also find that racism, sexism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination are also on the rise in our communities and used for political gain. At the root of this global upheaval and migration are the push factors of violent conflict, climate change, and corruption which often intersect with one another. At a time when there is such need around the world, we grieve that the U.S. has greatly reduced its refugee admittance numbers while smaller, poorer countries are stepping up to welcome and provide refuge for those in need. As people of faith, we know we can do more. We believe God is with Dreamers, the migrant and the outcast and calls us to create places of sanctuary; to offer hospitality to the stranger, to welcome all – regardless of faith, race, gender or nationality – and to break down the dividing walls that separate us.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2018 will focus on the uprootedness of our world. We will analyze current policy and envision ways to more fully and justly respond to the global and local needs of displaced communities. Through prayer, worship, advocacy training, and networking, we will seek policy changes that advance hope and overcome the devastating impacts of conflict, climate change and corruption on God’s people.
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Serving as a leading voice of witness to the living Christ in the public square since 1950, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) brings together 38 member communions and more than 40 million Christians in a common expression of God’s love and promise of unity. |
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