Follow NCC on Social Media! | | To subscribe to our weekly newsletter | | | | | | | Join the MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative Webinar, November 19 | | | Join the MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative Webinar featuring Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Rev. Dr. Sushama Austin-Connor, and the MOSAIC team on November 19, at 6:00 p.m. EST. We'll introduce MOSAIC's mission, share what we're working on, and discuss how congregation leaders and communications staff can stay connected and get involved. We hope you'll be part of the conversation! | | Free Rides to Cure Ballots
for Jackson, MS Voters | | There’s currently about a 2,500-vote margin between the two Mississippi U.S. Senate candidates, and a process is underway in-state to identify outstanding votes and address ballot curing.
Many organizations with a presence in Mississippi—including the NAACP, MS NAACP, Black Voters Matter, the Mississippi Coalition, and the Southern Poverty Law Center—are working on the ground to ensure every vote is counted.
Free Rides to Cure Ballots for Voters in Jackson, MS — Vote to Live is providing free rides to Jackson voters to cure their ballots.
Voters can also call Election Protection 1-866-OUR-VOTE for support. | | The Return to Home and to the Future | | By Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there …. But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? ~ Ruth 1:6,11
These words are often cited as lessons about abiding with another, especially in hard or devotional love between mother and daughter(s), or as a redemptive story that recounts a great hardship ending with a new future.
This Thanksgiving season, I am offering another focus: returning home. Many of us will do this in some way for Thanksgiving. But on any day, we may return to a home through our memories, evoking feelings of sorrow, lamentation, hope, or joy—whether with or without our families. As we enter November, we may have just reflected on who we are and who our ancestors were as we traversed All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day.
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the original homelands of many people of African descent here in the United States. Luanda, Angola, was one of the major ports of departure of African peoples from the continent of Africa to the place known today as Point Comfort (modern-day Hampton, Virginia). Although I have also visited such locations in Ghana and Senegal, this visit felt different—yet strangely familiar.
In Luanda, I encountered the “doors of no return” of our enslaved ancestors, located in a church, just like the door of no return in the lower level of a church in Ghana. In the case of Luanda, African peoples were “baptized” in the baptismal font and then “benedicted” before being shackled, sedated, and sent to their unknown destiny across the Atlantic Ocean. Luanda was the single largest port of embarkation across the Middle Passage, with an estimated 2.8 million enslaved people departing from the city.
Hunger, extreme violence, and the fundamental rejection of human dignity and rights of African peoples did not only originate in Angola and Ghana but across many other port cities. More than 12 million individuals went through doors of no return, with an estimated two million of these people dying on the seas.
You can find out more about the 1619 situation in Angola in our 2019 devotional, Lament and Hope: A Pan-African Devotional Guide Commemorating the 2019 Quad-Centennial of the Forced Transatlantic Voyage of Enslaved African Peoples to Jamestown, Virginia (USA).
Bread for the World’s Racial Wealth Gap simulation addresses how policies and practices of that period have contributed to the root cause of hunger, poverty, and other ills that disproportionately affect African peoples today. The racial wealth gap in the United States is 7:1 when it comes to people of European ancestry versus those of African descent.
But despite the lamentations of this history, African people continue to show resilience and resistance. The courage of Naomi and Ruth tells us that individuals who face profound struggles like famine, hunger, violence, and abuse can still find pathways of healthy return and futures.
During the upcoming holidays, as you return home—where both lament and hope are to be found—be encouraged by this good news and have a beautiful Thanksgiving season. The story of Naomi and Ruth tells us that we can truly give thanks for the hope our God graciously gives to us.
AAD Conference program information:
Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is Bread for the World Strategist, North American president, World Council of Churches, and NCC Governing Board Member. Dr. Walker-Smith was a global co-convener of this historic event in South Africa relative to her World Council of Churches presidency and AAD co-convener role. | | CJM Action Alert: Oppose the American Affordability and Jobs Act | | Christians are called to be faithful stewards of God's Creation; to love our neighbors, promote the common good, and protect, restore, and rightly share our shared home. The proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) expands clean energy opportunities at the expense of bedrock environmental policies that safeguard public health, ensure clean water, and protect precious ecosystems.
The UN Environment Program's 2026 report warns that to avert the worst harms of the climate crisis, humanity must end its dependence on fossil fuels. While permitting reform is necessary to accelerate our clean energy transition, it must never come at the expense of frontline communities, sacred lands, vulnerable wildlife, or clean water.
As people of faith committed to our shared call to care for our neighbors, promote the common good and protect our Sacred Earth, we must ensure that any permitting legislation does not renew historic legacies of harm and instead expands opportunities for community input and promotes environmental justice. Our neighbors, both human and creatures, are not negotiable. Permitting solutions must be evidence based and rooted in science, and include robust consultation with people living nearby proposed sites. | | | Southern Virginia Episcopal Diocese, Descendants Honor Enslaved Africans | | Former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preaches at the Diocese of Southern Virginia’s Nov. 2 “Lament. Repent. Reconcile. Heal.” worship service at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. Photo: Jeremy Tackett | By Shireen Korkzan Posted Nov 3, 2026
[Episcopal News Service — Williamsburg, Virginia] “Sia. Obi. Amara. They are known. They are loved. They are home.”
Dozens of descendants of Africans who were enslaved in Virginia proclaimed these words at a Nov. 2 service before three of their ancestors were laid to rest for the last time. [Watch the service below.]
After decades stored and unnamed by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the ancestors were named – Sia, Obi and Amara – and honored in a worship service here at Bruton Parish Church. After the service, their remains were permanently reinterred nearby at the Utopia Quarters, a residential site for enslaved laborers within the Kingsmill on the James resort area, a former plantation. The ancestors were initially buried at the Utopia Quarters before their bodies were excavated.
Loretta Burwell, a Burwell family descendant who traces her lineage to Kingsmill Plantation, described the long day of reverence for her ancestors as “magnificent.”
“It was perfect for the commemoration of the enslaved,” Burwell, a parishioner of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia, told Episcopal News Service.
As a funeral service, the homecoming, called “Lament. Repent. Reconcile. Heal.,” was intentionally held on All Souls’ Day, the Christian day of remembering and praying for the deceased.
“What we gather to do this day is to do what was not done long ago,” former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in his sermon. “Our duty on this side of the Jordan [River] is to receive [the ancestors] anew by calling on this world to remember them – remember them as children of God. Remember them, made and created in the image and likeness of the Most High God."
Read the full story here. | | | | | Honoring Loss and Joy During the Holidays | | Wednesday, November 18 at 12:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. CT
National Benevolence Association’s Older Adult Ministries is hosting the Honoring Loss and Joy During the Holidays webinar.
Naming sadness and finding ways to honor it can bring joy back to life. Co-leaders Rev. Lina Eddy and Rev. Kimberly Weir will provide a gentle guide through a journey of sharing about the challenges of the holidays, offer ways to find comfort in busy days, and invite you to share your thoughts.
REGISTER HERE | | | Explore what shapes your relationship with money and build skills for managing it with greater confidence. Four interactive sessions combine spiritual reflection with practical guidance on spending, saving, debt, and money conversations—all with grace for the life you’re living. Facilitated by Micah James, BFA, CFRE. Tuesdays, January 12 — February 27; 7-8:30 p.m. ET; $100/person, $150/couple.
LEARN MORE HERE | Conversation Cafe: Reimagining Evangelism | | Join Disciples Home Missions’ Congregational Vitality and Innovation for this installment of Conversation Cafe on November 17, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. CT for "Reimagining Evangelism: How Adept is Your Congregation in Connecting to the Community?" The guest presenter is Rev. F. Douglas Powe Jr., President, and Mouzon Biggs, Jr., professor of Methodist Studies, Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, Okla.
Read more and register…
| What We Carry Into the Room: Five Online Conversations Via Google Meet | | Beginning November 17, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. CT | Google Meet
Some conversations about race don't fail because people don't care. They fail because no one named what everyone brought into the room before the talking started. This is for those ready to examine what shapes every conversation before a word is spoken.
1 — Where We Start 2 — The Stories We Inherited 3 — The Right to Comfort 4 — Seeing Whole People 5 — What We Carry Forward
What We Carry Into the Room will take place through five sessions on Tuesdays, November 17, 24, December 1, 8, and 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT:
Learn more and register here. | Detention Center Accountability and Prevention
Zoom Launch | | Rev. Dr. Woolf will launch a new toolkit on Tuesday, November 17, that will empower faith leaders to teach and preach about detention centers.
This is a pivotal moment for building faith-based power against the cruelty we have witnessed. Many of us want to bring these concerns into worship but don’t have the tools to do it well. The Detention Center Accountability & Prevention toolkit is here to help. It includes: Timely resources for understanding the current context of detention centers ·What faith communities can do now to prevent future detention centers Guides for powerful preaching about detention centers
Learn more and register here. | WCC Webinar: Theology of Companionship Method: Companionship as a Pilgrimage Practice
November 10, 2026 — The second session of the webinar series explores companionship not only as a theological idea, but as a practical method for shaping Pilgrimage encounters.
Learn more… WCC Webinar: Theology of Companionship - Ethics: Companionship, Power, and Asymmetry
January 13, 2027 — The third session of the webinar series focuses on the ethical dimensions of companionship, especially where relationships are shaped by unequal power, privilege, resources, race, gender, geography, or institutional status.
Learn more… WCC Webinar: Theology of Companionship - Context: Companionship in Lived Practices
March 3, 2027 — The fourth session of the webinar series turns to the lived practices of companionship in concrete ecclesial, social, and cultural contexts.
Learn more… | | | | Handover Ceremony Highlights Passing the Light in Palestine and Israel
A handover ceremony on November 5 honored the ministry of 13 accompaniers from the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel, and ushered in a new group of 11 accompaniers.
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Faith and Order Conveners Introduce Commission’s Current Work
In a series of short video reflections, study group conveners of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order explain what the commission is working on and how its studies can help churches grow in visible unity.
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WCC Shares Greetings with 7th Session of the 13th Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany
WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay shared greetings with the 7th Session of the 13th Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany, gathering in Würzburg, November 8 - 11, under the theme, “Moving Forward Together – The Church as a Workshop for Democracy Education and Intergenerational Learning as an Expression of Lived Faith.”
Read more…
Talanoa for COP31: Creation Is a Gift, not a Marketplace
The WCC co-convened an online interfaith gathering on November 4 in the spirit of the Talanoa Dialogue. Talanoa is a Pacific method that asks three questions: Where are we? Where do we want to go? and How do we get there? Dozens of people of different faiths met five days before COP31 opens in Antalya, Türkiye.
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WCC Extends Condolences at Passing of Rev. Juan Pedro Schaad
WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay extended condolences upon the passing of Rev. Juan Pedro Schaad, pastor emeritus and former president of Evangelical Church of the River Plate.
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Video Shows How Serbian Student Movement Became “An Active Hope”
In the two years following the tragic collapse of the concrete canopy of the main railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia, students in the nation led peaceful demonstrations calling for accountability, responsibility, and justice.
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WCC Commission of Young People in the Ecumenical Movement Meeting Opens in Ghana
The WCC Commission of Young People in the Ecumenical Movement opened its meeting in Accra, Ghana, on November 4 under the theme “Journeying Together: Creating Healing Spaces.”
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The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions: “How Being Church and Being Ecumenical Are Interconnected?”
As the Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions opened in Antelias, Lebanon, on November 3, H.H. Catholicos Aram I delivered a keynote lecture on “The Future of Ecumenical Engagement.”
Read more…
Pacific Churches Call for Break the Silence Sunday
The Pacific Conference of Churches is calling on churches and faith communities across the Pacific to observe Break the Silence Sunday on November 22, under the theme “Ensure Justice, Protect Survivors of Violence and End Impunity.”
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Workshop Will Explore “Placing HIV Back at the Heart of the Health and Development Agenda”
A workshop and multi-stakeholder dialogue, “Placing HIV Back at the Heart of the Health and Development Agenda: The Role and Leadership of Religious Actors in Addressing Financial and Gender-Related Challenges,” is underway from November 4-6, in Lomé, Togo.
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WCC Signs Joint Statement for Respect for International Humanitarian Law
As the Global International Humanitarian Law Dialogue takes place in Geneva from November 3-4, the World Council of Churches, Caritas Internationalis, and ACT Alliance have released a joint statement that presents findings from an applied research project that emphasizes the value of strengthening institutions, anchoring identities in humanity, and embedding safeguards against violations.
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WCC Extends Diwali Greetings to Hindu Sisters and Brothers
WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay extended greetings to Hindu sisters and brothers for Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
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Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions Convenes
The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions is convening in Lebanon, November 3–5, hosted by the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicosate of Cilicia.
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Olive Harvesters in Only Remaining Christian Community in West Bank—Suffer Violence and Harassment
During olive harvest, the village of Taybeh—the only remaining Christian community in the West Bank—has been suffering violence and harassment by settlers.
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WCC Faith and Order Leaders Reflect on Deep Encounters
Leaders of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order reflected on their most recent meeting, which concluded in Lund, Sweden on October 31.
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Women’s Human Rights Training in Senegal Augments Voices, Builds Insight
The 11th annual Women’s Human Rights Training took place in Dakar, Senegal, October 19–23. Participants acquired new skills to conduct effective advocacy related to women’s human rights.
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New Guide Covers Role of Faith Communities in Ebola Response
A “Q&A Guide to Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease and the Role of Faith Communities,” prepared by the WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing, is newly available.
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Vespers in Lund Cathedral: Moments of Commemoration—and Contemplation
An ecumenical vespers service in Lund Cathedral on October 31, Reformation Day, commemorated significant moments in the history of ecumenism—and drew a procession of people who are wrestling with the future of ecumenism as well.
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WCC, LWF Launch ’The Lund Thread’ – on 100 Years of Ecumenism in Sweden
The WCC and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) launch joint exhibition titled “The Lund Thread,” highlighting 100 years of ecumenical encounter and exploration in Sweden.
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WCC, Orthodox Parliamentarians Explore Cooperation on Values, Public Engagement
WCC on October 30 received a delegation from the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva for discussions on the contribution of churches and faith communities to public life and the shaping of a values-based international order.
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WCC Meets With Hungarian Minister to Discuss Roles of Churches In Democratic Society
WCC on October 30 met with Zoltán Tarr, Hungary's minister for Social Relations and Culture, to discuss the role of churches in democratic society, the renewal of the United Nations, and prospects for national dialogue in Hungary.
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Women’s Day Declaration: “We Will Carry Our Memory into Spaces of Power”
A Women’s Day Declaration on October 26 at the African and African Diaspora Conference, delivered in partnership with the Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network, recognized the conference facets of memory, resistance, faith, organizing, and collective action.
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WCC Condemns Repeated Killings in Oromia, Ethiopia
WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay condemned repeated killings of members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the continuing insecurity affecting Orthodox Christian communities others in the Arsi area of Ethiopia’s Oromia Regional State.
Read more…
| | WCC Ecumenical Prayer Calendar | | | The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle takes us through every region of the world over the course of a year. Praying for each place on earth and its people at least once a year, we affirm our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing diverse problems, and sharing diverse gifts. Pray with us!
The suggested prayer texts are based on the publication "Pilgrim Prayer – an Ecumenical Prayer Cycle." The book and the website offer valuable aids for intercessory prayers, prayer on behalf of and in solidarity with others | | November 8 – 14 ....................................Oceania: American Samoa, Cook
Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Maohi
Nui), Kanaky, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,
Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu November 15 – 21 ...................................Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia November 22 – 28.................................East Timor (Timor Leste), Indonesia,
Philippines November 29 – December 5 .........Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore December 6 – 12......................................Myanmar, Thailand December 13 – 19....................................Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam December 20 – 26..................................Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and
the Mainland of China December 27 – January 2..................Japan, North Korea, South Korea | | | | | | | This Advent, join NCCC in choosing love over fear. The annual Advent booklet and our theme this year, Leading with Love, invites us beyond seasonal traditions into courageous discipleship, with reflections from Council staff confronting fear with courage and embodying God’s love through justice, radical hospitality, and care for our neighbors. As we await Christ’s coming, may hope embolden us, peace ground us, joy sustain us, and love lead us. Sign up to receive a free hard copy of the booklet and journey with us through this sacred season of preparation, reflection, and renewed hope.
Sign Up… | | | | | Grounded Under Pressure helps Christian leaders recognize what happens within themselves when anxiety and tension increase and practice ways of remaining calm, clear, and connected in the midst of it.
Rooted in Christian formation, this interactive workshop combines practical tools for self-awareness and self-regulation with spiritual practices that help leaders respond with greater wisdom, courage, and faithfulness. The goal is not to eliminate anxiety or avoid difficult situations, but to strengthen our capacity to remain grounded enough to act intentionally when the pressure is high.
Participants will practice: Recognizing their own patterns of reactivity Regulating themselves when anxiety and tension rise Staying both defined and connected under pressure Responding with clarity, courage, and faithfulness
Learn more… | | | | | | | | | | | | Purchase the NCC 75th Anniversary
Commemorative BIble and Save 20% Discount Code: NCC2026 | | | More from Friendship Press… |
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