National Council of Churches

Periodic Podcasts from the National Council of Churches. Enjoy the best features and interviews from insightful guests from across the ecumenical and interfaith movement exploring today's most important issues.

Birth of a New Nation: Interfaith Dialogue as Model for Building Unity 01/19/2021

Birth of a New Nation: Interfaith Dialogue as Model for Building Unity Part of the Faith & Fire Conversation Series "Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Chaos." Panelists: Rabbi David Saperstein - Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Erica Littlewolf - Program Coordinator for Indigenous Visioning Circles, Mennonite Central Committee Mohamed Elsanousi - Executive Director, Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers Moderators: Jim Winkler - NCC Min. Christian Watkins - NCC /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/18096359

Where are We Going? Spiritual Sustenance for the Journey Ahead 01/13/2021

Where are We Going? Spiritual Sustenance for the Journey Ahead Part of the Faith & Fire Conversation Series "Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Chaos." Panelists Dr. Loida Martell - VP of Academic Affairs and Dean and Professor of Constructive Theology, Lexington Theological Seminary Dr. Heidi A. Miller - Director and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, Pfeiffer University Moderator: Min. Christian Watkins - NCC /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/18096062

New Year, Who Dis? No More of the Same Old Stuff 01/06/2021

New Year, Who Dis? No More of the Same Old Stuff Part of the Faith & Fire Conversation Series "Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Chaos." Panelists: Derrick Lewis - National Field Organizer, NAACP Youth and College Division Abigail Scholar - Executive Director, Central Washington Justice for Our Neighbors Rev. Dr. Shazetta Thompson-Hill - Associate Pastor, Christian Chapel Temple of Faith, Fort Worth, TX Moderators: Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq. - NCC Min. Christian Watkins - NCC /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/18095720

Where Are We Going: Beloved Community through Bethlehem 12/16/2020

Where Are We Going: Beloved Community through Bethlehem Part of the Faith & Fire Conversation Series "Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Chaos." Panelists: Rev. Dr. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas - Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, Canon Theologian at Washington National Cathedral Rev. Dr. Stacey Cole Wilson - Executive Minister of Justice and Service, Baltimore-Washington Conference, United Methodist Church Moderators: Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq. - NCC Min. Christian Watkins - NCC /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/17639936

The World House: Mutual Inclusion for Beloved Community 12/09/2020

The World House: Mutual Inclusion for Beloved Community NCC's "Faith & Fire Conversations" series "Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Crisis” Panelists: • Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards: New Testament at North Park Seminary and author of “Might from the Margins” • Christian Brooks, MDiv, MSPPM: Representative for Domestic Issues, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Office of Public Witness • Rev. Noel Anderson: UCC elder and Grassroots Coordinator for Church World Service • Sara Benitez: VP of Organizing and Campaigns, Faith in Public Life Moderator: Min. Christian S. Watkins, Justice Advocacy & Outreach Manager, National Council of Churches /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/17639657

The Dilemma of Americans: Where Is Christ? 12/02/2020

The Dilemma of Americans: Where Is Christ? Episode 3 of the Faith and Fire Conversations series “Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Crisis” Panelists Rev. Dr. Rob Schenck, President and CEO of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer InstituteAmanda Tyler, Exec Director of Baptist Joint CommitteeRev. Dexter Udell Nutall, Sr. Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, Washington, DC /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/17313551

Racism and the White Backlash: Role of the Church Against White Supremacy 11/25/2020

Racism and the White Backlash: Role of the Church Against White Supremacy Episode 2 of the Faith and Fire Conversations series “Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Crisis” Panelists Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer - General Minister and President, United Church of Christ Rev. William H. Lamar, IV - Sr. Pastor, Metropolitan AME Church, Washington, DC /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/17313497

Where are We? Spiritually Diagnosing America’s Illnesses 11/18/2020

Where are We? Spiritually Diagnosing America’s Illnesses Episode 1 of the Faith and Fire Conversations series “Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Crisis” Panelists Reuben Eckels - Church World Service Rev. E. Michelle Lederer - General Committee on Religion and Race, United Methodist Church Rev. Dr. Angela Ravin-Anderson - Wheeler Ave. Baptist Church, Houston, TX /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/17313440

April is Earth Month 04/24/2020

April is Earth Month On Wednesday we celebrated Earth Day, a day that has been celebrated every year since 1970 on April 22nd. It’s a day for raising awareness of human activity’s negative impact upon the earth and is a day for political action and civic participation as well. It’s the culmination of an entire month of focus on the environment, and for people of faith, it has a special significance as a day of reverence for God’s creating and sustaining work. Creation Justice Ministries has committed itself to its theme for 2020, “The Fierce Urgency of Now.” We know we have ten years to take action to avert the most catastrophic damage to the life-sustaining climate God blessed us with, and entrusted to our care. This is Earth Month, and my guest is the executive director of Creation Justice Ministries, Shantha Ready Alonso. Shantha is a tireless advocate among faith leaders in the US, and today she will reinforce just how fiercely urgent our collective action on behalf of the planet is. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/14133821

A View from Above and Below 04/10/2020

A View from Above and Below Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer is the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. He’s also the chair of the governing board of the National Council of Churches, and as such, is well-positioned to give us a macro-view of the way things are unfolding. John also has a faith with boundless energy and hope, and I know you’ll hear that in his voice today. It’s a little of what we all need during these difficult times. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/13934033

The Church and COVID-19 04/02/2020

The Church and COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of life in the US and around the world. Every institution is affected, and the church is no exception. Colleges have sent students home, cleared out the classrooms, and are adapting to an online-only world. Churches have, for the most part, closed their doors on Sunday mornings and are struggling with how to maintain the kind of community life that congregants depend on. As we embark upon a series of conversations in which we will attempt to understand how this adaptation is taking place, my guest today is a pastor and leader in Washington DC who had already taken steps to connect people beyond those gathering in the sanctuary. Rev. Dr. Christopher Zacharias joins us to describe how he and his congregation are adapting to offer ministries when the beautiful building his congregation normally gathers in is now off-limits. If you’re struggling with this challenge also, you’ll want to listen in today. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/13822550

Faith, Activism, Humility 03/22/2019

Faith, Activism, Humility As we ponder the horrors of the massacre of 49 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, we have to reckon with the fact that home-grown hatred and extremism has gone global. One of the great things about working with other faith groups is that we get to see how others view their mandate to fight hatred and extremism through the lens of their faith. Simran Jeet Singh is one of today’s most influential Sikh thinkers. Simran holds graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and he is the author of “Covering Sikhs,” a guidebook to help journalists accurately report on the Sikh community. Today we get to speak together about bias, advocating for each other, and the need for humility in a society where we feel that we have to know everything. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/9107888

A New Bible Translation 02/22/2019

A New Bible Translation Stop and think about it for a second: if you were to encourage churches to work together, wouldn’t it make sense to be reading the same translation of the Bible together? This has been one of the hallmarks of the ecumenical movement for decades, and this is receiving a special amount of attention. For the first time in 30 years, the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is getting an update. My guest today is Roy Medley, former head of the American Baptist Church, former chair of the National Council of Churches Governing Board, now working with the NCC, Friendship Press, and the Society of Biblical Literature to develop an update to the foremost scholarly translation of the Bible, the New Revised Standard Version. This is a historic, ambitious work, and Roy is going to bring us up to date. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/8749736

Encore: "Human Rites" 02/19/2019

Encore: "Human Rites" This week’s podcast is an encore presentation of my interview with Dru Johnson, author of “Human Rites: the Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments,” which is to be released on Thursday, February 21. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/8706740

Burying White Privilege 02/08/2019

Burying White Privilege The quote goes like this: “The Death of Christianity within the United States has been a slow process, and it may very well be in its final throes. So I say, let the dead bury their dead.” Professor and speaker Miguel De La Torre has a new book out, and this always-challenging author is critiquing a Christianity that he says has sold its soul to white nationalism. His book is called, “Burying White Privilege,” and it’s as much as an invitation as it is a scathing critique. It’s up-to-the-minute like reading today’s newspaper and ancient like reading Jeremiah or Amos. Get ready for a challenging and intense conversation. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/8574950

Repentance and Race 02/01/2019

Repentance and Race How has your life been most changed, and where has God been most visible to you in that change? Social science suggests that relationships are the most likely to change our point of view, and if we are limited in the kinds of people we are in a relationship with, we’re more likely to see things as we always have. My guest today is Max Finberg. Max is here to tell us how his life and perspective has been changed through relationships, and how a set of intentional relationships are helping change views on race. You could say that in his own way, he and the Repentance Project are awakening, confronting, and transforming, and he’s here to talk about it today. You’ll want to listen to the end of this episode. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/8489159

The Real Immigration Crisis 01/17/2019

The Real Immigration Crisis Greetings from the 2019 government shutdown! As I record this podcast, we’re in the middle of the longest government shutdown in history. The central issue of the shutdown is immigration, and the central object is a wall. My guest today is Noel Anderson, Grassroots Coordinator for Immigrants’ Rights for the United Church of Christ and Church World Service. I’ve got big questions about this shutdown, and Noel is the person I go to whenever I have questions about immigration policy. He’s going to walk us through this minefield of divided politics and help us get to the root of the crisis unfolding here in Washington. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/8297939

Rituals, Faith, and Life 11/30/2018

Rituals, Faith, and Life Aside from going to church every Sunday, which I’m sure you do, and eagerly participating in the liturgy and ceremonies of worship, what are some other rituals you participate in on a regular basis? The author of “Human Rites,” spelled R-I-T-E-S, would like you to think about the rituals we live by, what they mean, and how they function in all aspects of life. My guest today is Dru Johnson, a professor and author with a fascinating biography and a new book entitled, “Human Rites: the Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments.” His book comes out in February, but I was able to see an advance copy and have the conversation you’re about to hear. I found him to be an especially engaging guest who offers something new to this very old conversation. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/7755491

Community Engagement Series: pre-election edition 11/05/2018

Community Engagement Series: pre-election edition Tomorrow is election day! And many are saying that this is the most consequential election in modern history. Today we’re once again hearing from our guest host, LaKesha Womack, as she interviews Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Founder of Grace and Race Ministries, and a former head of the Washington office for the National Council of Churches. Brenda has devoted her life to the work of racial understanding, healing and reconciliation, and in the context of the issues we are wrestling with in this election, there may not be a better person to hear from today. So if you’re standing in a long line waiting to vote, put your earbuds in and enjoy this conversation between LaKesha Womack and Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell. If you have already voted, pass this along to someone who has not. And if you haven’t planned on voting, get out there and exercise your civic duty. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/7445708

Our Community Engagement Series Webinar (turned podcast!) 11/02/2018

Our Community Engagement Series Webinar (turned podcast!) Over the past few weeks we have been holding webinars, with mixed success, designed to help us learn better ways of getting out the vote. Our host for these webinars, LaKesha Womack, has interviewed experts on state and local elections, the importance of the Supreme Court, and has hosted a town hall at our Christian Unity Gathering. Due to some technical problems encountered along the way, we’ve shifted gears and are having the last of these conversations here. So this week, a treat for you: LaKesha is our guest host, and today she interviews Rev. Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, one of Washington’s most powerful faith leaders and the first female Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus. And of course you already know LaKesha; she was a guest on this podcast just a few weeks ago. Get ready for an important conversation that you’ll want to share with others as we all get ready for election day, Tuesday, November 6th. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/7415756

Conflict and Transformation: a key to ending racism 09/21/2018

Conflict and Transformation: a key to ending racism Awaken, confront, transform: that’s what we’re talking about when we say “ACT to End Racism.” Awakening to racism means listening to the difficult truths and confronting the racism in ourselves and our institutions. My guest this week is Rev. Dr. David Anderson Hooker. David has spent most of his career transforming conflicts in some of the most difficult spaces on the planet. He’s not only the guest of this podcast, he’s also our keynote speaker for the Christian Unity Gathering, October 14-17. David is full of practical ways for churches to be part of God’s transforming work. He’s also one of the more enthusiastic and inspiring guests I’ve had on this podcast. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/7075067

Get the Vote OUT! 09/06/2018

Get the Vote OUT! What’s the most important thing you can do between now and November 6th? My guest today is LaKesha Womack, founder of the Womack Consulting Group, and leader of a series of webinars hosted by the National Council of Churches this fall. What’s the most important thing you can do between now and November 6th? You can make sure you’re registered to vote, get educated, join with others to make sure your congregation is educated, and most of all, VOTE. Oh, and you should join the webinars LaKesha is leading. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/7015934

One Year After Charlottesville 08/17/2018

One Year After Charlottesville Last weekend marked the first anniversary of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, that took the life of Heather Heyer along with two police officers as well. In Washington, DC, where a rally was being planned by those who carried out the “Unite the Right” rally last year, tensions were high. But Charlottesville was prepared for the worst. This week we will debrief with Rev. Phil Woodson, a United Methodist pastor in Charlottesville who was an eyewitness to the events that have been unfolding over the entirety of the past year. Phil will reflect on what’s taken place over the past year, what’s different from last year, and where white supremacy is showing up today. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/6939871

74 June's Immigration Disaster 06/22/2018

74 June's Immigration Disaster When it became clear that the families crossing into the United States from Mexico were being separated as part of a “zero-tolerance” policy, an outcry ensued that forced President Trump to backtrack. Did he really shut down this inhuman policy, or did it just get worse? Today we will hear from Rev. Aundreia Alexander about her trip to McAllen, Texas, to see for herself what is going on there, and to offer a prophetic witness with other leaders in the faith community. We will also talk with Matt Hawthorne of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and we’ll discuss this country’s use of indefinite detention and how that connects with the crisis at the border today. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/6735092

ACT to End Racism: Voices #1 06/15/2018

ACT to End Racism: Voices #1 It’s going to be a long time before we stop talking about the ACT to End Racism rally that took place in April, the launch of a multi-year initiative to end racism in our selves, our churches, and our institutions. On today’s podcast we begin sharing some of the powerful speeches that made up the program on April 4th. If you were there, you’ll remember the amazing spirit that overwhelmed us all. If you weren’t able to be there, get ready to hear some of what was said from the podium that day. It will be long remembered as a great day in the life of our nation and our churches, but get ready, it’s only the beginning. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/6709761

Knowing Your Sikh Neighbor 06/08/2018

Knowing Your Sikh Neighbor Quick: when you are out in the city or on an airplane and notice someone wearing a turban and a beard, what is your first thought? How much do you know about the fifth largest monotheistic religion? My guest today is Gurwin Ahuja, founder of the “We Are Sikhs” campaign, a national campaign to help build awareness around a faith community most of us don’t know much about. Gurwin has been a guest on this podcast before, and he’s one of my favorite people: an energetic activist working to help us all understand each other better. If you find yourself wanting to know more about the neighbors around you, please stay with me and listen in. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/6683610

The Wild Goose Festival 05/24/2018

The Wild Goose Festival When justice-seeking is at the center of one’s spirituality, community can sometimes be hard to find. That’s why a group of people set out to build that community, or at least give it a good, encouraging boost, by holding a festival in the mountains of North Carolina called “Wild Goose.” /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/6631551

Forbearance: An Ethic for a Divided Church 12/15/2017

Forbearance: An Ethic for a Divided Church In today’s deeply divided society, it seems the church is not immune. Even as we in the National Council of Churches seek to find common ground among our 38 member communions, we are aware that churches within our fellowship are dealing with deep divisions of their own. Is there an ethic or set of practices that might be helpful in times like these? My guest today, Dr. James Davis of Middlebury College, comes to speak with us today about his book with the title of “Forbearance: A Theological Ethic for a Disagreeable Church.” We will talk about his book, the inspiration for it, and how a recovery of this ethic might help bring about good in the world beyond the church. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/6050631

Faith in the Midst of Charlottesville 10/20/2017

Faith in the Midst of Charlottesville In late July we heard from Phil Woodson, a pastor in Charlottesville, Virginia, who alerted us of a major action there on August 12. Today Charlottesville has become synonymous with the violence that erupted there as counter-protesters clashed with the “Unite the Right” rally. My guest today is a long-time friend who attended because she believed she was called to be there. There are many people we could have on this podcast to speak about their experience in Charlottesville, but Rev. Annette Flynn is noteworthy because she is one of a handful of clergy across the United States that simply answered a call to be there. Her story is one of simple, clear, passionate faith, and I hope it inspires you today. It sure does inspire me. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/5861140

Turning Religion Inside Out 09/29/2017

Turning Religion Inside Out As it seems to become more and more difficult to have discussions that cross party lines, the faith community has resources that could be models for every kind of difficult discussion. Going far beyond the typical models of dialogue, Gwynne Guibord is bringing people together from different faiths in Southern California. In this episode I speak with Dr. Guibord, director of a center that is partnering with the National Council of Churches on two new high-level dialogues between Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus. We will speak with Gwynne today to learn more about her center, what’s unique about her approach, and how encountering another faith can deepen our own. /episode/index/show/nccusa/id/5791011

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