Global Ministries

Washington, DC — On Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, the NO BAN Act Coalition celebrated the end of the Muslim and African Ban and called on Congress to take the next step and prevent similar bans from being enacted again. The NO BAN Act Coalition is an alliance of national and local civil rights, faith and community groups who have been working tirelessly to support passage of the NO BAN Act, a landmark Muslim civil rights bill that is included in the U.S. Citizenship Act, the Biden administration’s day one immigration legislation.

Over the past decade of its existence, Shoulder to Shoulder [of which the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ are founding members] has developed and maintained close relationships with Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian (MASA) organizations and individuals, many of whom we have consulted regularly when making programmatic and policy decisions. We are now proud to announce the formation of a new Consultative Circle to formally reflect the importance of input from those most directly impacted by anti-Muslim bias.

This week, Shoulder to Shoulder marks a decade as an organized interfaith coalition dedicated to addressing anti-Muslim discrimination and violence in the United States. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ are founding members of this coalition.

To prepare for the 2020 elections, the United Church of Christ D.C. Office, with the help of ecumenical friends and partners, has been busy working on issue specific resources for you to use and to share with your congregations and communities! We are in the midst of a critical election year, and it is important that we consider some of these major topics and how our faith informs our vote.

For more issue videos, go to the UCC webpage.

09 July 2020, originally posted here

In a historical overview of the relationship between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the United Nations, a new WCC publication explores why the shared purposes of the organizations are needed now more than ever.

Black Lives Matter

A Declaration of Solidarity

Love is seeing the face of God in every human being.  Every person is my brother or my sister.  However, seeing the face of God in everyone does not mean accepting evil or aggression on their part.  Rather, this love seeks to correct the evil and stop the aggression.  (Kairos Palestine: a confession of faith and call to action from Palestinian Christians, 4.2.1)

Kairos Palestine expresses its unequivocal support for the Black Lives Matter movement and everyone working for racial justice in USA, the demands of which have resonated in communities around the world.

Join Virtual Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2020 for a ZOOM webinar that will prepare us to take online action with members of Congress on what would have been our Lobby Day, Monday, April 27, 2020, 1 pm EDT / 10 am PDT. Register here.

Originally posted here on April 16, 2020

For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,
    I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
    Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of my poor people
    not been restored?

-Jeremiah 8:21-22 NRSV

In the midst of a global pandemic with a massive impact on the health and well-being of people throughout the world, President Trump proposes to suspend U.S. funding to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is dangerous, immoral and wrong. Even though international institutions such as the WHO are not perfect, suspension of funding, proposed for 60-90 days while a review takes place, is irresponsible and ill-timed.  

“Protect the life God loves so much”

Call for the immediate and full lifting of those U.S. sanctions that increase the difficulty for nations to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and other countries.

Church World Service (CWS), a global humanitarian agency with programs in development, humanitarian aid, and refugee assistance, adds its voice to the increasing number of U.S. humanitarian and religious organizations calling an immediate lifting of those U.S. sanctions that increase the difficulty for countries to protect their populations from the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent further global transmissions.

Thousands of Liberian refugees who fled civil war and disease are at risk of immediate deportation unless Congress acts. Since 1991, Liberia has been continuously designated for either Temporary Protected Status or DED, due to unsafe country conditions preventing Liberians from safely returning.