| | | | ARE YOU FOLLOWING NCC ON SOCIAL MEDIA? Check out our social media accounts for NCC updates! | | NCC Calls 21-day Daniel Fast, a Time of Fasting and Praying | | | NCC Staffers Join UCC Conference Ministers for 'Love Has No Borders' Vigil | |
More than 20 United Church of Christ Conference Ministers came to Washington, D.C., for a week of advocacy, training, a prayer vigil, and meetings with their elected members of Congress.
Hosted by the Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, the ‘Love Knows No Borders’ was an effort to proclaim a message of sacred solidarity with "those who have suffered under systems of hate, greed, and division."
“As both a faith leader and a local elected official, I believe advocacy is where our prayers meet policy. When we bring our stories to the halls of power, we remind decision-makers that every policy has a human impact,” said Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference.
NCC was represented by president and general secretary Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, one of the speakers addressing the vigil crowd, along with Keith Swartzendruber and Matthew Markay. | | | Click the icon to watch the vigil here. | | | Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order: How Visible Unity Can Transform the World | | As the World Council of Churches (WCC) Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order closed on October 28, in addition to releasing an “Ecumenical Affirmation” and a “Call to All Christians,” participants pledged to bring the fruits of their prayers and dialogue to many churches and communities across the world in ways that show living action and witness. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC | Those gathered expressed deep gratitude to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and to the Coptic Orthodox Church for hosting the conference, October 24–28, at the Logos Papal Center in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, with a deeply spiritual sense of hospitality.
During a closing blessing, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church reflected that the church is still called to be a witness in the same way it was called 1700 years ago at the Council of Nicaea. “This gathering unites us in the spirit of Nicaea—the spirit of faith, reflection, and the continued call to cooperation and love among all churches,” he said. "This unity can only be achieved through theological dialogue among the churches.”
Today’s church can still proclaim the voice of truth and love, noted His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. “Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, as we conclude the work of this conference, we pray that God may bless all that has been shared in theology, in dialogue, and that it may be transformed into living action and witness in our work.”
Rev. Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich, moderator of the WCC Faith and Order Commission, reflected on the conference’s journey together. “We have asked: Where now for visible unity?” she said, citing the theme of the conference.
“How has our journey been together towards visible unity?” Dietrich asked. “In our prayer life these five days, we have shared much wisdom from the desert fathers.”
WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay noted that the conversations during the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order started before the event and will extend long after. “We have found one another in the bond of unity, and in the spirit of Christ that comes to us to bring us together in that bond of unity,” he said. “Coming together as different churches, 356 member churches, is not an easy task!”
“Ecumenism does not stop at a conference door,” said Pillay. “Ecumenism must reach the pews.”
Dr Andrej Jeftić, director of the WCC Faith and Order Commission, referred to the remarkable days spent together. “Over these five days, we have been weaving something together: Our words, our actions, our prayers, and our pilgrimage into the beautiful fabric of this conference,” he said. | | | | | | UCC Appeals for Help Needed for Jamaican Disaster Relief Efforts | | On October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, one of the most powerful and destructive storms on record in the Caribbean. Its devastation also impacted Haiti and Cuba. Presently, 13,000 people in Jamaica remain in shelters, and 34 fatalities have been reported — a number that is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Authorities in Haiti report 25 fatalities, with that number also expected to rise in the coming days. UCC is issuing an appeal to help immediate and long-term recovery efforts in these Caribbean countries. The primary needs at this stage of recovery are shelter, safe drinking water, sanitation, healthcare, and food. Please consider donating to support these recovery efforts. UCC partners will use your support in the areas of greatest need. Through ACT Alliance and Church World Service, the UCC is working to get resources for those who need them. Through Global Ministries, we are also in contact with UCC's partners in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti and are working quickly to accompany and support their response efforts.
The UCC has posted a prayer and a short statement in response to the hurricane. Please consider making a gift today. Thank you for your past support of disaster relief efforts that have rebuilt communities around the world. We do this work through your generosity. | | | Filipino Ecumenical Leader and Theological Educator Passes | | Chiang Mai, Thailand: Rev. Dr Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes, a renowned ecumenical leader, theological educator, and former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) passed away on October 30, 2025. She was 78 years old.
Rev. Dr. Sharon served as a member of the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) from 2000 – 2005.
Rev. Dr. Sharon was the first woman elected to serve as General Secretary of the NCCP. She led the NCCP with courage and vision for one biennial and two quadrennial terms (2000 – 2007), a period marked by the NCCP’s strong prophetic witness for human rights, gender justice, environmental stewardship, and the pursuit of just and lasting peace.
Expressing sorrow over her passing, CCA General Secretary Dr. Mathews George Chunakara said, “The Christian Conference of Asia joins the churches and ecumenical movement in the Philippines in mourning the passing of Rev. Dr. Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes. We thank God for her life and faithful service, and we offer our deepest sympathies to her family and all who grieve her loss.” | | Arizona Episcopal Church Continues Serving Unhoused, Low-income People Despite Lawsuit Threats | | Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Tucson, Arizona. Photo: Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
[Episcopal News Service] For more than 25 years, Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Tucson, Arizona, has unconditionally served unhoused and low-income people in its community. The parish offers various social services, showers, a food pantry, and a cafeteria for anyone in need.
“Our ministry to unhoused people and to people who have homes but can’t make ends meet is a central part of who we are as individuals and as a church,” the Rev. Steve Keplinger, Grace St. Paul’s rector of 13 years, told Episcopal News Service.
Grace St. Paul’s, located in the Blenman-Elm Historic District in Midtown, has operated its ministry with little resistance from its neighbors until the past two and a half years, when Tucson’s homeless rates significantly increased. Now, an average 140 people — more than double from previous years — seek assistance every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Neighbors have complained and filed police reports about litter, small fires set for warmth, discarded drug paraphernalia, public defecation, and other concerns, and have asked Grace St. Paul’s to move or stop its ministry. Those residents have now threatened to sue the church.
“As a congregation, we’re not willing to shut down our program or move out of our neighborhood.…Unhoused people need to eat, go to the bathroom, shower, and drink water, just like everyone else,” Keplinger said. “I believe we have a theological and moral obligation to do this work, and, of course, it’s in Scripture. We try to pattern everything we do on Jesus.”
Read full story here. | | Episcopal Parish Network to Host 2026 Conference in Charlotte, NC | | Join Dr. Brian Steensland, the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, and Dr.
Allison Norton for a compelling conversation on how imagination,
daily practice, and family life shape the habits through which faith is learned, lived, and shared.
Drawing from research, ministry experience, and the fabric of everyday relationships, they’ll explore how storytelling, spiritual discipline, trust, and creativity cultivate resilient, living faith. Rather than treating formation as a program to run, this session reframes it as a lifelong, communal journey. Whether you serve as clergy or lay leader, you’ll leave inspired to create spaces where faith isn’t merely taught—but embodied, nurtured, and joyfully practiced.
Come rekindle your imagination for how faith is formed —
across generations, through community, and for the flourishing of
the Church and the world.
Click here to register. | | Coptic, Malankara, Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox Churches Join at One Altar | | His Eminence Metropolitan Abraham Mar Stephanos, Reverend Father Aashu Alexander, and Reverend Father Jibin Abraham of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church participated in the Divine Liturgy, concelebrated with the hierarchs of the Oriental Orthodox Churches at the Creed Church, Logos Papal Centre in Wadi El Natrun, Egypt, during the 6th Conference on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.
This sacred gathering of Coptic, Malankara, Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox Churches around one Holy Altar bore witness to the unity of faith and the enduring commitment of the Oriental Orthodox family to the pursuit of Christian unity and mutual understanding. | | NAE to Host 2026 Christian Student Leadership Conference, January 26–30 | | The National Association of Evangelicals will host its 70th annual Christian Student Leadership Conference January 26–30, in Washington, DC. The event will be "a gathering of Christian university students, faculty, and staff called by God to champion renewal and transformation in our nation and world."
During the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this weeklong experience will highlight true liberty in Christ, introduce participants to influential members of Congress, policy experts, and national faith leaders, and prepare you to serve the common good.
Click here for more information and registration. | | STATE/REGIONAL COUNCIL NEWS | | | Join the Wisconsin Council of Churches on Tuesday, December 9, for their Annual Meeting 2025: "Hope, Fears, and Realities: Religious Leadership and AI." They will gather in Appleton at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 724 E South River Street.
More information available here. | | OCC to Host Retirement Celebration for Executive Director, Rev. Jack Sullivan, Jr. | | | | | | One Home, One Future Offers Free 'Skit Kit' to Discuss Climate | | Are you looking for ways to talk about climate that are positive and engaging? Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the Skit Kit will help you create an entertaining performance that models productive climate conversation and action on solutions at the dinner table. Join One Home One Future today to access the Skit Kit and other FREE resources! | | Crossroads and Connections Announces Three-part Virtual Gun Violence Workshops | | Crossroads and Connections: Building Relationship and Community. Taking Action to Prevent Gun Violence – Three-Part Series These discussions are for anyone interested in learning how the United States compares to other countries in addressing gun violence. Sign up now and join this exciting journey of discovery and action. NOTE: Event registration will be available only via Action Network.
Part 1: November 6, 6:30 – 8:00 pm EST Presenter: William Kullman, Esq. Registration LINK via Action Network Part 2: November 11, 6:30 – 8:00 pm EST Presenter: William Kullman, Esq. Registration LINK via Action Network Part 3: November 18, 6:30 – 8:00 pm EST Taking Action to End Gun Violence – Panel Discussion Topic #1: Advocate and Leader Development Presenter: JP Thomas
Topic #2: Gun Violence Prevention Laws
Presenter: Ashleigh Deemer
Topic #3: Firearms Threat to America's Youth and Solutions to Stop Gun Violence
Presenter: Gregory Joseph
Topic #4: Gun Trafficking
Presenter: Bryan Miller
Registration LINK via Action Network | | Peace Fellowship Church Calls Prayer Guard to Surround DC with Prayer! | | | | | News from Friendship Press | | | Nicaea is now available!
Earlier this week, Friendship Press launched Nicaea: The Council and Creed That Defined Christianity at the Christian Unity Gathering in Boston! This new book from Faith and Order celebrates the history, significance, and ongoing relevance of the Nicene Creed.
Special thanks to the panelists, editors, and contributors who made this book possible and put on an excellent launch event in Boston. If you did not get to purchase a copy at the event, visit friendshippress.org to place an order.
Regular price: $24.99 Also available at Amazon.com
More Friendship Press Books | | | Friendship Press Launches
The People's Book Podcast | | Listen to the new Friendship Press podcast, The People's Book, available now on Apple Podcasts. | | | | Applications Open for 2026–2027 Ecumenical Institute at Bossey | | The chapel of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC
The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and attached to the University of Geneva, is accepting applications for its 2026–2027 academic programs in ecumenical studies. These internationally recognized programs offer unique opportunities for theological formation, intercultural exchange, and ecumenical engagement.
Four distinct study options are available: Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Ecumenical Studies Complementary Certificate in Ecumenical Studies (CC) Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Ecumenical Studies Intensive English Summer Course (EC)
Application deadline: November 30 | | | |
|
|
