'Amazing Grace Sunday' is Feb. 18
New York, January 30, 2007--Two hundred years after the British Empire abolished slavery - and 144 years after the Emancipation Proclamation - events are planned to bring attention to an estimated 27 million people around the world living in slavery.
This winter a new film tells the story of Amazing Grace, the hymn written by a reformed slave ship captain. The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is one of 74 groups endorsing the movie. Among the partnering organizations are the National Association of Evangelicals, Sojourners, the Library of Congress, the Salvation Army and the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking.
Thousands are planning to launch a new abolitionist movement February 18 with 'Amazing Grace Sunday.' Church congregations around the nation will sing 'Amazing Grace.' (You can register your congregation at http://www.amazinggracesunday.com/ )
The movement is called the Amazing Change Campaign [http://www.theamazingchange.com/index.html]. ; It is designed to carry on in the spirit of the movie's main character, William Wilberforce, and end slavery forever.
"This is a wonderful movie," said the Rev. Bob Edgar, NCC's general secretary. "Whether you are a person of faith, an active citizen, or both, you will find something in this movie that will relate to you."
The historically-based film opens nationwide Feb. 23.
The NCC is the ecumenical voice of America's Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches. These 35 communions have 45 million faithful members in 100,000 congregations in all 50 states.
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NCC News contact: Dan Webster, 212.870.2252, NCCnews@ncccusa.org . Latest NCC News at www.councilofchurches.org .
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