wfn.org | NCCCUSA on Universal Health Care

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org

Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227

116NCC10/22/99 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC SUPPORTS "U2K" RALLY, UCHAN! PUSH FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
National Council of Churches to Join Oct. 22 "Call to Care" 
Rally, U.S. Capitol

 Oct. 22, 1999, WASHINGTON, D.C. - Churches join the call for 
universal health care because of their commitment to justice and 
mercy - and their centuries-long direct engagement in health and 
healing ministries.  That is why the National Council of Churches 
is supporting today's "Universal Health Care 2000 Campaign," or 
"U2K," rally, set for 12:15 p.m. today on the East Front Steps of 
the U.S. Capitol, said the Rev. Dr. Staccato Powell, NCC Deputy 
General Secretary for National Ministries. 

 More than 44 million Americans, including 16 million 
children, have no health care insurance coverage and 60 million 
are under-insured, reports the Universal Health Care Action 
Network!, UHCAN!  That network, the NCC and the Gray Panthers are 
co-sponsoring today's rally and the Universal Health Care 2000 
Campaign, or "U2K" and have enlisted hundreds of endorsing 
organizations.

 "Behind the numbers," Dr. Powell said, "are names and faces 
of people and the American health care crisis impacts them in a 
very real way.  And there are glaring disparities by race and 
class.  Churches understand health care as a moral issue.  
Churches operate major hospitals, run clinics in poor 
neighborhoods, and support many congregationally based health 
care programs."

 Today's rally takes place just over one year prior to the 
2000 elections.  Participants, including religious, civic, 
justice, civil rights, consumer and political leaders, will call 
on all Americans - individuals, organizations and political 
candidates - to put universal health care back on the national 
agenda for the year 2000 electoral campaigns and to take a pledge 
to guarantee health care for all in America.

 Work will continue through the weekend at a conference for 
grassroots activists, co-sponsored by UHCAN! and the Gray 
Panthers.  NCC Ecumenical Networks Director Barbara George will 
speak Saturday on organizing the faith community, especially on 
how to engage people doing frontline health mission with national 
advocacy for universal health care.  And the NCC is co-sponsor of 
the conference-related "Faith and Health Care Justice" breakfast 
on Sunday morning.

 Then, Nov. 11-12 in Cleveland, Ohio, the National Council of 
Churches will launch a faith-based community organizing campaign 
for universal health care at its two-day National Faith 
Communities Health Care Gathering, taking place during the NCC's 
50th Anniversary Celebration Nov. 9-12.

 The Gathering is opening its main plenary event to 
Anniversary Celebration participants as a forum on Nov. 11 from 
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Cleveland Convention Center.  It will 
feature representatives of congregations, community groups and 
denominations.  Presenters will share stories of the health care 
crisis and models of organizing that connect local mission with 
the national movement, said Robb Burlage, Director of the 
Interfaith Health Care Initiative of the NCC's National 
Ministries Unit.

 The NCC's General Assembly, its highest legislative 
authority, meets Nov. 10-12 in Cleveland and will be asked to 
approve a "Resolution for Renewed Faith Community Universal 
Health Care Campaign."

 The resolution would commend to the NCC's 35 Protestant, 
historic African American, Anglican and Orthodox member 
communions and their 52 million members "a renewed faith 
community action campaign for comprehensive universal health care 
with democratic principles to which we have been historically 
committed; a campaign consisting of public education and action 
focused at the congregation and community level in cooperation 
with a larger coalition seeking to put this issue back on the 
national agenda."

NCC engagement around health care access includes 
participation in the Northern Manhattan Health Alliance, 
operative in the New York City neighborhood in which the Council 
has its national headquarters.  "We are trying to feel the pulse 
of what's happening and what's being said around health care," 
Dr. Powell said.  "Many of our communions are actively involved 
in that local health alliance initiative.  We need to look more 
at how we interface with regional, state and local initiatives.

"As we as a Council celebrate our 50th year, which is a 
`Jubilee Year,' it is even more crucial to invoke the biblical 
jubilee mandate to identify with those who are dispossessed and 
marginalized." 

The NCC has enlisted the following endorsers of today's 
"U2K" rally: Alaska IMPACT, Fairbanks, the Rev. Richard K. 
Heacock, Jr.; Church Women United Washington, DC Office, Ann 
Delaney, Legislative Director; Ohio Council of Churches, 
Columbus, the Rev. Rebecca J. Tollefson, Executive Director; 
PROJECT EQUALITY, INC., Kansas City, Mo. the Rev. Kirk P. 
Perucca, National President and CEO; Congress of Racial Equality 
(CORE), New York City, Roy Innis, National Chairman; Fellowship 
of Reconciliation (FOR), Nyack, N.Y., John Dear, National 
Executive Director.

Also, the Arizona Council of Churches, Phoenix, the Rev. 
Paul Eppinger, Executive Director; West Virginia Council of 
Churches, Charleston, the Rev. Nathan Wilson, Executive Director; 
Montana Council of Churches, Billings, Margaret E. MacDonald, 
Executive Director; New Hampshire Council of Churches, Concord, 
David Vincent-Lamarre; New York State Community of Churches, 
Albany, Mary Lu Bowen, Executive Director; New Mexico Conference 
of Churches, Albuquerque, the Rev. Dr. Wallace Ford, Executive 
Secretary; Washington Association of Churches, Seattle, the Rev. 
John Boonstra, Executive Minister; CALL TO RENEWAL, Washington, 
D.C., Mike Bruinooge, Director; Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, 
Portland, David Leslie, Executive Director; Illinois Conference 
of Churches, Springfield, the Rev. David A. Anderson, Executive 
Director; American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, Pa., 
Joyce D. Miller, Director, National Community Relations Division.

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