National Council of the Churches of Christ

The ELCA is a member church of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCCC). The NCCC – based in New York City and founded in 1950 – has been the primary national expression of the movement for Christian unity in the United States. The NCCC's member communions of thirty-six Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches work together on a range of activities that further Christian unity, witness to the faith, and serve people throughout the world. Nearly fifty million U.S. Christians belong to churches that hold Council membership.

The ELCA is engaged in NCCC national ministries, ranging from poverty and family ministries to environmental and education issues. Furthermore, through Church World Service – another ministry resource of the NCCC – many ELCA congregations participate annually in local CropWalk events, the proceeds of which go to aid world (75%) and local (25%) anti-hunger projects.

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NCCC Vision Papers to Further Christian Understanding

The 2010 General Assembly of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and Church World Service took place November 9-11, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This unique assembly has been expanded into a Centennial Ecumenical Gathering, including other ecumenical partners.

The Centennial Gathering celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, which marks the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement. In preparation for this event, the National Council of Churches and Church World Service initiated a series of five studies on crucial issues of our era:

• Christian Understanding of Unity in an Age of Radical Diversity 
• Christian Understanding of Mission in an Age of Interfaith Relations 
• Christian Understanding of Creation in an Age of Evironmental Crisis 
• Christian Understanding of War in an Age of Terror(ism) 
• Christian Understanding of the Economy in an Age of Growing Inequality 

The vision papers are recommended for prayerful study and reflection – i.e., in Sunday school, Bible study, adult formation, local dialogues, ministerial associations, etc.  More information can be found on the website.

The National Faith and Order Commission

Interfaith Relations & the Church: A study guide for key issues

The Interfaith Relations Commission of the National Council of Churches has issued a series of theological resources to guide clergy and laity through the basic issues of engagement with other faiths. Each of the five booklets can be downloaded for individual study or duplicated for study groups. The five topics covered are:

• The Missional Challenge:  In a world of many faiths, what might our participation in God’s mission look like, and how can we faithfully pursue it?
• The Moral Challenge:  There are two moral questions. First, how do we apply a moral test to Christian witness with people of other faiths? Second, how do we assess the actions of all religious persons and religions?
• The Theological Challenge:  Presents a range of Christian perspectives on the role played by other faiths in God’s work in order to help us think theologically about interfaith relations.
• The Ecumenical Challenge:  Christian unity and interfaith relations may at times stand in real tension.
• The Identity Challenge:  Encounters with those who are different from us offer the opportunity to contemplate our own faith more deeply and embody it more clearly.

The 12-page brochures include brief, incisive essays, prayers, and study questions.