wfn.org | NCCCUSA's Participation in President's

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

Volunteerism Summit

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the 
U.S.A.
Contact: Wendy McDowell, NCC, 212-870-2227

NCC4/9/97                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC GENERAL SECRETARY, COMMUNIONS TO PLAY ACTIVE 
ROLE IN PRESIDENTS' VOLUNTARISM SUMMIT

 NEW YORK, April 9 ---- The General Secretary of 
the National Council of Churches (NCC) and many 
leaders from NCC communions will bring their faith 
perspectives and experiences working with youth to 
"The Presidents' Summit for America's Future" to be 
held in Philadelphia April 27-29.

 The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, NCC General 
Secretary, will be serving as a co-chair of the 
Communities of Faith group of the Summit with at 
least eight other religious leaders.  Two heads of 
NCC communions have also been invited to be co-
chairs, the Rev. Dr. Bennett W. Smith of the 
Progressive National Baptist Convention and 
Archbishop Spyridon of the Greek Orthodox 
Archdiocese of America.

 Additionally, the NCC has facilitated naming 
over 70 representatives from member communions and 
regional ecumenical bodies who will participate in 
the Summit.

"We are pleased to help facilitate the 
participation of the religious community in the 
Presidents' Summit," said Dr. Campbell.  "It will 
both highlight and further ministries in which we 
have long been engaged.  The needs of youth remain 
an urgent priority for our churches and our country.  
This ministry is truly an ecumenical calling."

The NCC's Executive Board endorsed the goals of 
the Presidents' Summit in February, which involve 
increasing volunteer service to help America's youth 
to lead healthy, fulfilling and productive lives.  
"Teams" of 10 to 12 citizens from each of 100 
communities from all 50 states will share models and 
begin to develop concrete action plans at the 
Philadelphia summit.  In addition to religious 
leaders, representatives from businesses, 
foundations, government agencies, social work 
agencies and labor organizations will also 
participate and are making commitments to concrete 
plans of action for the coming years.

In support of the Presidents' Summit, the NCC 
is encouraging religious communities throughout the 
country to enhance their ministries with youth and 
children.  The NCC will also identify 8 to 10 model 
programs already established among its communions at 
the Summit.

"Given a short time schedule, we are grateful 
for the cooperation of our member churches in 
responding to the Summit," said the Rev. Dr. Albert 
Pennybacker, the NCC's Associate General Secretary 
for Public Witness and Director of the Washington, 
D.C., Office.

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