National Council of Churches

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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

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.

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. We are now in Holy Week, in what most of us are experiencing as week 4 of social distancing, and we are being told that things are about to get much worse.

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.