wfn.org | NCC's 50th Anniversary Celebration Nears

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

26-October-1999 
99362 
 
    NCC's 50th Anniversary Celebration Nears 
 
    Andrew Young, Desmond Tutu to Keynote Nov. 9-12 Fete 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
CLEVELAND-Ambassador Andrew Young, Archbishop Desmond Tutu  and many other 
renowned national and international guests will come to Cleveland Nov. 9-12 
to join in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Council of 
Churches. 
 
    Tutu, South African Anglican Archbishop Emeritus and Nobel Peace 
Laureate, will keynote the celebration's kickoff luncheon, which will be 
hosted by Cleveland mayor, Michael R. White.  The program will celebrate 
the NCC's achievements over the past 50 years, which have seen both church 
and society transformed by the ecumenical movement. 
 
    Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will be installed 
as the NCC's  20th president Nov. 11 in an ecumenical liturgy held in 
Cleveland's Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The 
installation will include a gala 50th Anniversary Banquet Nov. 11, with an 
address by Young on his visions for the ecumenical movement in the 21st 
century and his goals for his NCC Presidency (2000-2001). 
 
    Nineteen forums and several other special events will feature the Rev. 
Peter J. Gomes of Harvard University; the Rev. Bruce M. Metzger of 
Princeton Theological Seminary; Carole Collins, Coordinator for Jubilee 
2000/USA; David Hornbeck, superintendent of the Philadelphia Public 
Schools, and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher; among others. 
 
    The annual meeting of the NCC's highest legislative authority, its 
General Assembly, Nov. 10-12, is expected to approve new policies urging 
priority support for public education, defining approaches to interfaith 
relations, and proposing "pillars of peace for the 21st century," including 
support for the United Nations.  The Assembly will also elect a new General 
Secretary, succeeding the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, who is retiring; seek 
to ensure ongoing financial stability of the NCC;  and explore new models 
for U.S. ecumenism that more fully include Roman Catholics, Pentecostals 
and Evangelicals. 
 
    Some 1,000 people are expected to participate in the celebration, 
including top leadership of the Council's 35 Protestant, Orthodox, African 
American and Anglican member denominations. 
 
    The NCC's Web site - <www.ncccusa.org> - features a section dedicated 
to the 50th anniversary, including full program information and an exhibit 
of historic photos.  The web site will also offer a daily "on-line 
newspaper" with full news and documentation, photos and audio clips from 
the anniversary week's events, and will contain a link to the "webcast" of 
Young's installation service beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time Nov. 11. 
 
    The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. is 
headquartered at 475 Riverside Drive, New York City.  Founded in 1950 with 
the merger of several predecessor bodies, the NCC is the nation's largest 
ecumenical organization. 
 
    Its 35 Protestant and Orthodox member denominations - with a combined 
membership of 52 million - join forces in a wide array of ministries, 
including emergency response and refugee assistance through Church World 
Service (CWS), Bible translation and biblical literacy programs, 
environmental justice, public policy witness, community development 
projects, educational and worship resources, and programs that address 
poverty, racism and other injustices. 
 
    Additional information is available by calling 1-800-328-NCCC or by 
visiting the NCC's web site: <www.ncccusa.org >. 
 
(Information for this story furnished by the NCC Office of News and 
Information) 

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