NCC Governing Board reviews resolutions on Iraq, human cloning and global warming
New York City, September 28, 2006--The Governing Board of the National Council of Churches USA met here September 25 and 26 and reviewed resolutions on current events, including the war in Iraq, human cloning and global warming.
The resolutions will be referred to the NCC General Assembly, which meets November 7-9 in Orlando, Fla., for action.
The Governing Board, presided over by the Rev. Michael Livingston, NCC president, also heard from a Baptist pastor from New Orleans who lost his home and church in the floods of Hurricane Katrina. The Rev. Charles W. Duplessis asked member communions to support Churches Supporting Churches, an organization that enables congregations around the country to become partners with 36 New Orleans area churches that are rebuilding.
The board heard reports from the NCC's five program commissions and the Bible Translation and Utilization committee that oversees the New Revised Standard and Revised Standard versions of the Bible. The NCC owns the copyright of the NRSV and RSV.
The NRSV is now distributed by Harper San Francisco, which plans a new launch of the bible and new products, said the Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, NCC deputy general secretary for research and planning.
"The RSV and the NRSV are among the Council's most valued assets," Lindner said.
The war in Iraq continues to be a major concern of the Governing Board. The resolution on the war in Iraq, which laments a "lapse" in the moral leadership of the United States and calls upon the NCC's member communions to "promote moral choices in foreign policy, so that the well being of our own nation and of all peoples may be established."
The resolution on the war in Iraq calls upon the U.S. "to immediately begin to develop a plan for the phased withdrawal of American and coalition forces from Iraq." But the Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ," said the phrase "doesn't sound urgent enough. "I'd like to see us call for an immediate phased withdrawal," Thomas said. The resolution was referred back to the drafting committee "to improve it" before it is submitted to the General Assembly.
Two draft resolutions came out of the work of the NCC's Policy Development Committee on Human Biotechnologies. One calls for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning, and the other calls for the creation of a national science advisory board to regulate bio-defense activities.
The resolution on global warming calls upon the U.S. government to respond to the heating-up of the earth's atmosphere with greater urgency, and urges industry to invest more in conservation and more efficient and sustainable energy technologies.
The subjects of other resolutions reviewed by the Governing Board include Wal-Mart, Christian Zionism and the 400th anniversary next year of the founding of Jamestown, Va.
The National Council of Churches is America's leading ecumenical voice of 35 member Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, historic African American and peace churches, comprising 45 million faithful in 100,000 congregations.
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Contact NCC News: Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228, pjenks@ncccusa.org; Rev. Daniel Webster, 212-870-2252, NCCnews@ncccusa.org
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