The Annual General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC USA) and the Church World Service (CWS) was held from 8th - 11th November in St. Louis. The meeting proved to be fruitful with highlight in worship and various policies addressing various social issues.
The Assembly has adopted a policy entitled “The Church and Children: Visions and Goals for the 21st Century”. Rather than focusing on a particular issue, the policy represents a holistic view of childhood and the diversity of children's gifts and needs.
Anne Tuohy, Chairman of the Committee for Justice for Children and Their Families said, “This is the first policy statement specifically about ‘children’. In the past most of our work on behalf of children has been around specific issues like childcare, health care or public schools.”
The policy provides a biblical view on care for children. In Christian teaching, children are created in God’s image, they are sacred and good in the eyes of God. From the beginning of the story of the people of God, children have had a central role. It is through the child Isaac, and subsequent generations, that the making and blessing of a nation occurs. Children, Jesus taught, are among the most cherished of God’s cherished.
Therefore, the policy said, “as God has nurtured the church so too are the churches to nurture children in the love of God, teaching them to know and love the Lord, encouraging their spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit, and tending to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.” The full document is available online on the NCC website.
Moreover, the Assembly received a new study guide on human biotechnologies and gave feedback for the NCC’s development of a new policy on human biotechnologies, to come before the 2005 General Assembly for the first of two readings.
In response to the recent U.S. election, the assembly approved an “Action on Dialogue Among U.S. Christians on Christian Values”. It asked for “a process that attempts to engage the spectrum of Christian churches in our communities in dialogues about Christian values.” In an attached open letter to all U.S. Christians, it said “the painful spectacle of Christians demonising one another. We do not view the Christian community in our country as being divided into red and blue. Our view is that we are a mosaic of God’s grace and presence. We need to give up caricatures of one another’s positions and avoid treating others as though they were less than faithful...We believe we need to reach out to one another for the sake of the gospel.”
Under the mourning for the death of Yasir Arafat, the Assembly prays for the Palestinian people. In particular it is very concerned about the peace between Palestinians and Israelis. It felt sorry for the Christian, Muslims and Jewish, who had innocently sacrificed in the religious conflicts. NCC again emphasised its pledge to “work to bring Jews and Muslims together with Christians to provide support to a vigorous and genuine initiative toward peace in the Middle East”, standing in line with President George Bush’s proposal.
In addition, the Assembly celebrated with a number of award winners, who had great contribution to both the Church and the community. Here is a list of award winners:
- J. Irwin Miller Award
Dr. Dorothy Height, Civil Rights pionner
- Hope Award
Tim Janis, “Music with a Mission” composer and performer
- Unity Award
Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, Professor at Eden Theological Seminary
- Peace and Justice Award
Baldemar Velasquez, Farm Labor Organizing Committee
William Bryan, Mt.Olive Pickle Company
The Assembly worshiped at Christ Church Cathedral, where the General Assembly’s President, C.M.E. Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., preached to a standing-room-only crowd.
At the Young Adult Pre-Event, Colleen Carroll Campbell, the author of “The New Faithful: Why Young Adults are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy”, described how growing numbers of America’s young adults are seeking out a demanding, life-changing faith that includes mystery, a traditional morality and service.
