wfn.org | Andrew Young Considers His New Position as NCC President

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	50th Anniversary Newsroom - Nov. 8-12, 1999 call 216-696-8490

NCC11/11/99						FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANDREW YOUNG CONSIDERS HIS NEW NCC POSITION

Nov. 11, 1999, CLEVELAND, Ohio - What does being president of the National 
Council of Churches (NCC) mean to Ambassador Andrew Young?  It means two 
things, he said at a noon press conference here Nov.11.

First, he said, "I get to preside over the coming together of 35 Protestant 
and Orthodox denominations."  And second, "I get to stand in the way of the 
Holy Spirit."

But Ambassador Young added, "When you get such a diverse a group of 
churches together, God works in mysterious ways."

He said, "I've watched this happen over the years with the National Council 
of Churches.  I've watched it help the Marshall Plan come into being.  I've 
watched it help break the filibuster so that the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 
and 1965 could be enacted.  And I've watched it help bring down the Berlin 
Wall."

Ambassador Young said, "I've been a part of the history of this Council, so 
when it came my time to stand up (and become president), I couldn't even 
consider saying no."

Asked about assuming leadership at a time when the NCC is in financial 
trouble and may have to cut budget and staff, Ambassador Young responded 
with a question: "Has there ever been a time when the National Council of 
Churches has not been in financial trouble?"

When he was elected mayor of Atlanta, Ambassador Young saw the task of 
restructuring that city as an opportunity rather than a curse, he said. The 
Reagan administration cut funds to cities, so Atlanta had to cut its 
municipal employees from 8,000 to 6,000. But it was relatively painless, he 
said, because the city took care to help people find training for new jobs.

Regarding the NCC, "both Bob [incoming General Secretary the Rev. Robert 
Edgar] and I are pastors," he said, "so this will not be an impersonal task."

Ambassador Young hopes to restructure the NCC so that it will "be able to 
move quickly and efficiently to meet the challenges of the 21st 
century."  And he hopes to be able to approach some people who have the 
resources to help provided they are presented with the case for getting 
involved.

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