Follow NCC on Social Media! | | | | | | | Christ Is Risen! Truly He Is Risen!
Pascha/Orthodox Easter Message His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC)
Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Christ Is Risen! Truly He Is Risen! While many of the NCC’s member churches celebrated and proclaimed the resurrection of our Lord last Sunday in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, the devout clergy and faithful of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox traditions, in accordance with the Julian calendar, celebrate Christ’s victory over death this Sunday. This difference should not prompt concern, but rather, further reflection on the nature of our ecumenical witness as Christians. Even as we mark Pascha or Easter under different calendars, Christ’s resurrection resounds through space and time, transfiguring all things to point to Him as our Lord and our God (cf. John 20:28). As faithful of Western Christian traditions celebrated Easter last Sunday, faithful of Eastern Christian traditions celebrated Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, immediately preceded by Christ raising His friend, Lazaros, from the dead. God’s plan for our redemption is fully revealed in the light of the Resurrection. In the empty tomb, we do not find isolation, but rather communion and true peace in Christ as He reconciles all humanity to the Father. In Christ’s resurrection, the new day has dawned, and a new Kingdom is established where peace reigns and joy abounds. In His appearances to His disciples, we come to understand the ultimate end of Christ’s resurrection in His greeting, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). Thus, it is only with faith and hope in the Resurrection that we may live in true peace, being assured that God is with us (cf. Matt. 1:23 and Matt. 28:20). In a world yearning for peace, let us celebrate our risen Lord by cultivating the virtues of forgiveness, mercy, and love so that the peace and hope of the Resurrection may be proclaimed in our very lives, just as we proclaim the risen Christ in singing with abounding joy: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life! May He who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, bless you always, granting all of us and the whole world peace and every good thing from above. Prayerfully yours in the risen Lord, | | NCC Staffers Support New Jersey
Good Friday Pilgrimage | | National Council of Churches staffers joined faith leaders and congregants from across New Jersey in a powerful Good Friday pilgrimage, walking approximately 10 miles from Montclair to the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark. Matt Markay, NCC project coordinator and production coordinator for the MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative, and Rev. Dr. Sushama Austin-Connor, MOSAIC program director, joined this public witness, described as a way to “pray with our feet.” The pilgrimage began with more than 100 participants and grew to nearly 300 people as others joined along the way. The band of faithful clocked mile after mile, committed to standing in solidarity with immigrant neighbors and drawing attention to the realities of detention and family separation. Along the journey, pilgrims stopped for prayer and reflection, embodying the call of Good Friday to confront suffering with faithful presence and collective action. | | NCC Supports Repairers of the Breach Moral Mondays Demonstration | | Story and Photos by Amanda Dowd NCC Communications Officer
On Monday, March 30, National Council of Churches in Christ in the USA (NCC) staff joined Repairers of the Breach, led by president and senior lecturer Bishop William J. Barber II, alongside clergy, moral advocates, and community members for the "Love Forward Together Moral Monday: War is Unholy and We Must Stand Against It."
Despite a cold, steady drizzle, the group marched through the streets of Washington, D.C., holding signs demanding an end to the war, prioritizing people over profits, and calling for fair wages. Spirits remained determined among marchers as they sang “Hold on just a little while longer, I know justice is coming soon.”
As the group gathered in front of the White House, the sun emerged just as speakers urged government leaders to act with moral courage and reject war. Clergy and community members also spoke about the harm caused by war both overseas and at home, highlighting the social challenges that could be addressed if resources devoted to war were instead invested in supporting Americans. These messages inspired onlookers to join the call for an end to the war.
As the gathering concluded, Bishop Barber invited in-person and online supporters to continue working together in faithful witness against the war by participating in Moral Mondays.
Click Here to learn More about Moral Mondays
Watch the Moral Mondays Full Recording Below | | | NATI-RETI Registration
Open Until April 15 | | The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, in partnership with the Canadian Council of Churches, will host the North America–Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute (NATI-RETI) on August 3–16, 2026, with sessions in Detroit, Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario.
NATI-RETI 2026 is a fully immersive residential theological learning program designed as a pilgrimage across borders — bringing together emerging Christian leaders from the United States and Canada for deep theological reflection and spiritual fellowship.
This initiative marks a significant renewed chapter in cross-border collaboration, creating a shared platform to engage the deep intersections of faith and public life, and to nurture the visible unity of the church.
NATI-RETI is designed to nurture the visible unity of the church and to emphasize the deep relatedness of justice and mission to that unity—equipping participants to reimagine the church’s witness in a polarized world. A diverse cohort of students and emerging leaders will help model the unity the ecumenical movement seeks to deepen.
For more information, visit the NATI-RETI website, or contact: Keith Swartzendruber — US co-director, NATI-RETI Keith.swartzendruber@nationalcouncilofchurches.us
Matthew Markay — US co-director, NATI-RETI Matthew.markay@nationalcouncilofchurches.us | | | EAD Announces Opening and Closing Worship Preachers | | | | Ecumenical Advocacy Days announced Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson as the opening worship preacher for this year's conference, April 20-22, in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Thompson is the general minister and president and chief executive officer of the United Church of Christ. She is the first woman and the first woman of African descent to serve as leader of the denomination. She was elected at General Synod 34 in 2023. She is a writer, poet, and theologian who has contributed to numerous publications.
The closing worship preacher will be NCC's president and general secretary, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie. She is the first African American woman to serve in this position in NCC's history, as well as the first female bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop McKenzie is an active leader in social justice, having served on the White House Commission of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women Religious Leaders by the Huffington Post. Participants will draw on shared faith traditions to inspire one another and call on Congress to commit to “Protecting People, Peace, and Planet!”
Through worship, workshops, solidarity, and Congressional visits, the hope is to bring together a diverse group of Christians to remind Congress of the shared responsibility to care for all that belongs to God. Learn more at advocacydays.org. Full and partial need-based scholarships are available. | | | WCC Expresses Grave Concern
over Threats to Iran | | World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator of the central committee Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay expressed grave concern over threats made by the President of the United States of imminent widespread attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and the response of Iran promising serious retaliation.
Read the full story here. | | | Finding Your Corner in the Sky | | By Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker Smith Bread for the World Strategist for Pan African and Orthodox Faith Communities NCC Governing Board Member
“Everything has its season; everything has its time …. Show me a reason, and I’ll soon show you a rhyme …. Gotta find my corner of the sky.”
Corner of the Sky,” from the musical Pippin
Recently, I was at the annual Africa Film Festival events in the Washington, D.C., region. This festival is a treasure, projecting rarely known stories about Pan African peoples.
One feature was the 2025 film Khartoum, which captures the lives of five persons and their families before and during the outbreak of the 2023 Sudanese civil war. The stories include a woman who “had her corner,” where she served coffee, and people would gather and share their daily lives and find community. Eventually, the protests, the civil unrest, and the violent deterioration of the neighborhoods by the militias ripped their corner community apart.
Despite this horror, the film also conveys this woman’s hope—and the hope of other former Khartoum dwellers who testify to that city being in them. They will never forget who they are or their dream to overcome.
I am a witness to this dream, having lived in the Darfur region of Sudan years ago after my graduate studies. I know something about how Sudan captures your heart and leaves you with the memory of the corner dwellings in places like Khartoum, the Sahara Desert, and El Fasher before the genocides.
The stories in Khartoum convey a season of death and hunger while also conveying the resilience and resistance of Sudanese people, wherever they may be. This month, on April 15, we observe the anniversary of the outbreak of civil war in Sudan, which was accompanied by crimes against humanity—sexual violence, rape, and starvation. Humanitarian assistance and peacemaking strategies are needed urgently, but only 6.6 percent of needed humanitarian support has been provided.
Bread for the World has called for prayers and advocacy. Your voice matters when it comes to Sudan and all places affected by the scourge of hunger and poverty, globally and in the United States. Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 tells us that there are different seasons in life. This is echoed in the song “Corner of the Sky” in Pippin. The musical dramatizes Pippin’s quest to find personal significance during the various seasons of his life. He discovers seasons of war, political power, and romance before realizing that meaning lies in a quiet, everyday life with his love, Catherine.
Just as for Pippin and Catherine, there is a time and place of significance for all of us—and this includes our brothers and sisters in Sudan. This time does not have to be a season of death and hunger in Sudan, but peace and nurture. We can be advocates for this. Please go here to pray and act with your Offering of Letters to end hunger. | | Blessed Tomorrow Upcoming Events | | Faith + Climate Film Series Caring for the Earth: Stories from Faith Communities Get a glimpse of how people of faith respond to today’s climate challenges with courage, compassion, and conviction. Stay tuned for the full film series to spark meaningful dialogue, strengthen your congregation, and turn shared concern into collective action.
Each full episode will include a free toolkit with scripture, prayers, discussion prompts, practical next steps, and everything you need to lead a study, engage youth, or mobilize your community. | | Watch the trailer for Faith + Climate Film Series, Caring for the Earth: Stories from Faith Communities | | Register Today: The National Faith + Climate Forum, April 25 | | Join Blessed Tomorrow on Saturday, April 25, for the National Faith + Climate Forum, a powerful nationwide gathering that brings people of faith together to care for creation and advance climate justice. This free, live-streamed event will be experienced at in-person gatherings across the country, creating space for connection, learning, and faithful action rooted in shared values. Individuals are also welcome to join the livestream from the comfort of their own homes. Join an individual, or go further by hosting a local watch party at your congregation or community space. Host locations can receive up to $500 to support your event while bringing this transformative forum to your community. | | | | | | | | | Renaissance Woman The Creative Life of Louise E. Jefferson by Tasheka Arceneaux Sutton $24.99 | | | Wet Cement Inclusive Children's Ministry that Leaves an Impression by Julia Dennis $19.99 | | | | | Dream, Dare, Disrupt How Experiments, Risk & Embracing Failure
Can Build Life-Giving Ministry by Matt Rawle and Rachel Billups $19.99 | | More from Friendship Press… |
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