The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is an association of 35 Christian faith groups in the United States with 100,000 local congregations and more than 45,000,000 adherents. Its member communions (also variously called denominations, churches, conventions, or archdioceses) currently (2007) include Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, African-American, and historic Peace churches. Image File history File links NCC_USA.jpg Summary Logo of the National Council of Churches Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as: the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, having maintained unbroken the link between its clergy and the Apostles by means of Apostolic Succession. ...

The NCC has long been the leading force in the Christian ecumenical movement in the United States. It is related fraternally to hundreds of local and state councils of churches, interfaith organizations, and to the World Council of Churches. Even though these councils may include many of the same member churches, they have no fiscal or administrative connections to each other. Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

The National Council of Churches was organized in 1950 as a merger of the Federal Council of Churches (formed in 1908) and the International Council of Relgious Education. Its headquarters are located in the Interchurch Center on Manhattan's Upper West Side in New York, New York with a public-policy office on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. A sister organization, Church World Service, is a humanitarian and relief arm of the NCC's member communions. Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... NY redirects here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States. ...

Representatives of the NCC's member denominations meet together annually in a general assembly with several other meetings each year by a smaller governing board. Most of the Council's work is done through five ecumenical program commissions — Communication, Education and Leadership Ministries, Faith and Order, Interfaith Relations, and Justice and Advocacy. Membership in these commissions extends beyond the NCC's member communions to involve participants from more than 50 U.S. faith groups, including Roman Catholics, Evangelicals, and Pentecostals.

The NCC's current General Secretary, Rev. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist, is a former pastor, seminary president, and six-term member of Congress. He succeeded Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, a minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), on January 1, 2000. Rev. ...

Theology

The Council's statement of faith, found in the preamble to its constitution, reads as follows:

"The National Council of Churches is a community of Christian communions, which, in response to the gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Savior and Lord. These communions covenant with one another to manifest ever more fully the unity of the Church. Relying upon the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the communions come together as the Council in common mission, serving in all creation to the glory of God."^[1]

This general statement is accepted by all of the NCC's member communions, which as Christian bodies hold these and many other beliefs in common. Each of the member communions also has a unique heritage, including teachings and practices that differ from those of other members.

Research and publishing contributions

RSV and NRSV Bible Translations

Main articles: Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version

The NCC holds the copyright on the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The RSV, completed in 1952, was intended by its translation team to be highly readable and literally accurate. It was the first translation to benefit from previously unavailable manuscripts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, and from the collaborative insights of Jewish, Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox translators. The NRSV was completed in 1989. These translations have been highly praised by Biblical scholars, pastors, and teachers^[2]. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ...

Both translations have also been heavily criticized.^[3] Scholar R. Laird Harris derisively called the RSV "a monument of higher critical scholarship" when referring to the RSV's translation of Old Testament passages concerning Christian claims of Jesus's foretelling.^[4] The NRSV has also come under fire for its tendency toward gender-neutral language.^[5] The Orthodox bodies in the NCC have been hesitant to support either translation.^[6] The Orthodox Church in America has "found (the NRSV) to be so divergent from the Holy Scriptures traditionally read aloud in the sacred services of the Church as to render it impossible of acceptance as Holy Scriptures" and decided not to permit it for use in liturgical services or bible study.^[7] Robert Laird Harris (born March 10, 1911) is an Presbyterian minister, church leader, and Old Testament scholar. ... Gender-neutral language (gender-generic, gender-inclusive, non-sexist, or sex-neutral language) is language that attempts to refer neither to males nor females when discussing an abstract or hypothetical person whose sex cannot otherwise be determined. ... The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church in North America. ...

Other Publications

• The NCC sponsors the research program on which the Uniform Sunday School Lesson Series is based. The long-running series that began in 1872 under the auspices of the National Sunday School Convention^[8] is now written and edited by volunteers from 18 NCC Protestant denominations who meet annually for a week to plan and develop the lessons.

• The annual Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, a comprehensive directory of the religious life of North America, is published by the NCC.

First published as the Federal Council Year Book in 1916, The Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches is a comprehensive descriptive and statistical listing of major religious bodies and other important religion-related organizations in the U.S.A. and Canadian. ...

Theological and Educational Dialogue

• The NCC Faith and Order Commission is an ongoing, scholarly, ecumenical dialogue among North American Christian theologians and church historians. Its participants represent more than 50 faith groups, including Evangelical, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, and African-American churches. In 2007, the Commission celebrates its fiftieth anniversary^[9].

• The NCC Interfaith Relations Commission conducts dialogues and provides resources for Christians to explore the challenges and opportunities of living among people of other faiths in an increasingly pluralistic and multi-ethnic nation. The Commission produces study guides, newsletters and conferences. It also consults with congregations, denominational bodies, and community organizations about their interfaith relations concerns.

• The NCC Education and Leadership Ministries Commission is an umbrella organization for fifteen ecumenical program committees and two project teams made up of participants from dozens of denominations, working together to develop lesson materials, research, guidelines and demonstration projects that support local congregations in educational ministry.

Web and Television Production

• Worldwide Faith News, a religion news distribution website, was developed and is administered by the NCC Communication Commission. WFN grants permission to reproduce, copy, or quote all documents submitted by participating faith groups.

• The NCC is one of the founding members of the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission, a partnership fostering the production of documentaries and liturgical programs for the television affiliates of ABC, NBC and CBS. The current IBC members include the NCC, the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the New York Board of Rabbis, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the Islamic Society of North America.

• The NCC is also a founding member of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition, now operating as Faith and Values Media. This consortium of about 70 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups produces and distributes programming through the Hallmark Channel and the FaithStreams website. NICC's early initiatives included the VISN/Odyssey cable channel.

Social and political advocacy

The NCC office in Washington DC addresses the moral and ethical dimensions of public policy issues, working from a policy base developed and approved by the member communions over many decades. Its activities are carried out under the guidance of the Council's Justice and Advocacy Commission. From its founding in 1950, the Council has sought to keep church constituencies informed about developments of interest in the realm of public policy, and has made the views of the ecumenical community known to government leaders and others in places of public leadership. Where its member communions have not reached a policy consensus on an issue, the NCC does not speak.

The Council has long voiced support for minimum wage laws,^[10] environmentalist policies, and affirmative action.^[11] The organization also played an important role in the civil rights movement in the 1960s.^[12] It partners with other groups, such as Bread for the World, Habitat for Humanity, and Children's Defense Fund, to press for broad policy initiatives that address poverty issues. The Council helped launch the Let Justice Roll grassroots anti-poverty campaign that has been successful in raising the minimum wage in a half-dozen states since 2005. ^[13] For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ... Affirmative action refers to concrete steps that are taken both to increase the representation of underrepresented and arguably underprivileged minorities and to redress the effects of past discrimination. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

In July 2005, the Antiochian Orthodox Church withdrew from the NCC. Father George Kevorkian, an assistant to the denomination's senior cleric, said that the Church left because "unfortunately, the NCC USA started to adopt an agenda and positioning that appeared to depart from the primary purpose of spreading and witnessing the gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems to have taken a turn toward political positioning." ^[14]

Figures in the conservative movement accuse the NCC of holding a biased policy towards Cuba,^[15] and criticize relative silence by the NCC towards political and religious prisoners in countries with left-leaning and totalitarian leadership.^[16] Conservatism [derivative of conserve; from Latin conservare, to keep, guard, observe] is a philosophy defined by Edmund Burke as a disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve. Classical conservatism does not readily avail itself to the ideology of objectives. ...

In spring 2007, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met in Tehran with a visiting delegation of Christian leaders from a number of U.S. faith groups, including some from the National Council of Churches. During the candid conversation, the group challenged Ahmadinejad's statements about the Holocaust and his alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. Abraham H. Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, was among those who criticized the visit.^[17]   (Persian: ‎ ​, IPA: ), transcribed into English as Mahmud or Mahmood, Ahmadinezhad, Ahmadi-Nejad, Ahmadi Nejad, Ahmady Nejad) (born October 28, 1956) is the current president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... ... Abraham H. Foxman (b. ... Anti-Defamation League Logo The Anti-Defamation League (or ADL) is an advocacy group founded by Bnai Brith in the United States whose stated aim is to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. ...

Member denominations (February 2007)

• African Methodist Episcopal Church -- [1]
• The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
• Alliance of Baptists -- [2]
• American Baptist Churches USA -- [3]
• Diocese of the Armenian Church of America -- [4]
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) -- [5]
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church -- [6]
• Church of the Brethren -- [7]
• The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America -- [8]
• The Episcopal Church in the United States of America -- [9]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America -- [10]
• Friends United Meeting -- [11]
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America -- [12]
• Hungarian Reformed Church in America -- [13]
• International Council of Community Churches -- [14]
• Korean Presbyterian Church in America
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
• Mar Thoma Church
• Moravian Church in America Northern Province and Southern Province -- [15]
• National Baptist Convention of America -- [16]
• National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. -- [17]
• National Missionary Baptist Convention of America -- [18]
• Orthodox Church in America -- [19]
• Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA -- [20]
• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends -- [21]
• Polish National Catholic Church of America -- [22]
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- [23]
• Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. -- [24]
• Reformed Church in America -- [25]
• Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada -- [26]
• The Swedenborgian Church of North America -- [27]
• Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch -- [28]
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America -- [29]
• United Church of Christ -- [30]
• The United Methodist Church -- [31]

The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church, is a Christian denomination founded by Bishop Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816. ... The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or AME Zion Church, was officially formed in 1821, but operated for a number years before then. ... The Alliance of Baptists is a fellowship of Baptist churches and individuals. ... ABCUSA American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist churches within the United States; headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. ... The insignia of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). ... The Christian Methodist Epsicopal Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Methodism. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Schwarzenau Brethren. ... Christ - Coptic Art Coptic Orthodox Christianity is the indigenous form of Christianity that, according to tradition, the apostle Mark established in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century AD (approximately AD 60). ... The arms of the Episcopal Church are based on the St Georges Cross, a symbol of England (mother of world Anglicanism), with a saltire reminiscent of the Cross of St Andrew in the canton in reference to the historical origins of the American episcopate in the Scottish Episcopal Church. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Friends United Meeting is an association of yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) encompasing twenty-six yearly meetings in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. ... The Church of Greece is one of the fifteenth autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches which make up the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... The International Council of Community Churches (ICC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in Frankfort, Illinois. ... The Indian Orthodox Church (also known as the Malankara Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of the East, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East), is a prominent member of the Oriental Orthodox Church family. ... The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, commonly referred to as the Mar Thoma Church is a Reformed offshoot of the pre-16th century undivided Saint Thomas Christians, and got its current identity in 1889, even though it was born much earlier. ... A Moravian is a Protestant belonging to a religious movement that originated in Moravia, Czech Republic. ... The National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. ... The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. ... National Missionary Baptist Convention of America - an association serving as a medium of cooperation and fellowship for African-American missionary Baptist churches. ... The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church in North America. ... The Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) is a former member of the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht and was the only member church of the Union of Utrecht based outside Western or Central Europe (though it was not so when the Philippine Independent Church or Aglipayan Church briefly joined the... This article needs cleanup. ... The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) is a convention of African-American Baptists emphasizing civil rights and social justice. ... The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination that was formerly known as the Dutch Reformed Church. ... Flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church The MONTENEGRO Orthodox Church (crnogorski: Crnogorska Православна Црква / Crnogorska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the Church of Montenegro is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia. ... Swedenborgianism is a term based on the ecclesiastical organization of certain beliefs relating to Emanuel Swedenborgs writings and, as such, is considered a religious movement by some. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the United States denomination known as United Church of Christ. ... This article is about the current denomination africa. ...

References

1. ^ About the National Council of Churches. Retrieved on 2007-04-17.
2. ^ ENDORSEMENTS. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
3. ^ Marlowe, Michael D.. New Revised Standard Version. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
4. ^ Marlowe, Michael D.. Revised Standard Version (1946). Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
5. ^ Marlowe, New Revised Standard Version.
6. ^ Bishop Tikhon. Bishop's Pastoral Letter on the New Revised Standard Version. Retrieved on 2007-04-22.
7. ^ Bishop Tikhon. Bishop's Pastoral Letter on the New Revised Standard Version. Retrieved on 2007-04-22.
8. ^ Historic Uniform Series Now Meets 21st Century Needs. Retrieved on 2007-04-22.
9. ^ Celebrating 50 Years of Faith and Order. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
10. ^ Faith and community leaders urge Congress to raise minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. NCC News. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
11. ^ NCC General Assembly (1997). Resolution on Continued Support For Affirmative Action.
12. ^ Findlay, Charles F. (1993). Church People in the Struggle: The National Council of Churches and the Black Freedom Movement, 1950-1970. Oxford University Press Inc, USA. ISBN 0-195-079-671. 
13. ^ Morality of the Minimum. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.
14. ^ "NCC Speaks Out About Withdrawal of Orthodox Church", Christianpost.com, 2005-09-30. Retrieved on 2007-04-07. 
15. ^ NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES (NCC). DiscoverTheNetworks.org. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
16. ^ Ibid. "NCC was silent about the depredations of Ethiopia's Marxist government, which left 10,000 dead and shuttered 200 churches. Nor did it criticize the Soviet Union's 1978 invasion of Afghanistan. Not until after the Soviet Union's collapse did NCC speak out on the subject of Communist oppression..."
17. ^ Anti-Defamation League. Christians' Praise Of Ahmadinejad A Shameful Betrayal Of Christian-Jewish Relations. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (130th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

External links

• National Council of Churches USA home page
• FaithfulAmerica home page, a ministry of the NCC
• Church World Service home page