wfn.org | St. Louis Hosts Nov. 8-11 Meeting of Leading Inter-Church Body

["Carol Fouke" <cfouke@ncccusa.org>]

Media Advisory/Coverage Request

THE CHURCH AND...PUBLIC EDUCATION, HUMAN GENETICS, CHILDREN AND MORE:
NCC/CWS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND RELATED MEETINGS NOV. 8-11, 2004, ST. LOUIS, MO.

October 21, 2004, St. Louis, Mo. -- An interfaith conversation on public
education, release of a new study guide on human genetics, action on a policy
statement on "The Church and Children" and much more will be on the agenda of
the annual General Assembly and related meetings of the National Council of
Churches USA and Church World Service, set for Nov. 8-11 in St. Louis.

Other highlights: Guest musicians Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) and
Kulna Sawa, a young adult musical group from Syria that includes Christian
and Muslim performers; Peace and Justice, Hope, and Unity Awards; the J.
Irwin Miller Award, in memory of an NCC founder and early President who died
in August; preaching by the NCC's current President, Christian Methodist
Episcopal Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., and General Secretary, the Rev. Dr.
Robert W. Edgar, a United Methodist, and a day-long event for young adults. 

The NCC - the nation's leading ecumenical organization - and CWS - the
humanitarian agency - are ministries of their 36 Protestant, Christian
Orthodox, Episcopal, African-American and Living Peace member churches
(denominations), which in turn count 45 million members in more than 100,000
local congregations nationwide.  

The 280-member General Assembly is made up of official delegates from member
churches, and has final say on policy, which the NCC and CWS, although
autonomous institutions, share.  Assemblies are an opportunity for a broad
cross-section of churches to speak together with one voice and to join in
ecumenical worship, Bible study and fellowship.

General Assembly Venue: Sheraton St. Louis City Center, 400 S. 14th St.,
unless otherwise noted.  The public is invited, and media coverage is
welcome. See www.ncccusa.org/generalassembly for details, including how to
register. 

* * * *

NCC Media Liaisons: Carol Fouke-Mpoyo, cfouke@ncccusa.org, 212-870-2252, and
Leslie Tune, ltune@ncccusa.org, 202-544-2350 or (cell) 202-297-2191.  CWS
Communication Director: Ann Walle, awalle@churchworldservice.org,
212-870-2654

Speaker bios, downloadable photos, registration information and complete
coverage will be made available at: www.ncccusa.org/generalassembly

* * * *

Additional Information About 2004 General Assembly Highlights:

Daily Nov. 8-11 - Bookstore, exhibits on NCC and CWS programs; daily worship;
Bible study.

November 8, 10 to 11 a.m. - NCC General Secretary Robert W. Edgar addresses
chapel service at Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis.

Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Young Adult Pre-Assembly Event.  Open to all young
adults (ages 18-30), including young adults from greater St. Louis, along
with NCC young adult delegates and stewards.  Keynote speaker: Colleen
Carroll Campbell, an award-winning journalist, former speechwriter to
President George W. Bush, and author of the critically acclaimed book, "The
New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy." 

Nov. 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Interfaith Conversation on Public Education,
co-sponsored by the NCC Committee on Public Education and Literacy and the
St. Louis Interfaith Partnership.  Keynote speaker: Congressman Chaka Fattah.

Nov. 9, 2:15-5 p.m. - NCC/CWS General Assembly opens.  Highlights: Opening
prayer and statements.	Welcome from Orvin Kimbrough, Executive Director, St.
Louis Interfaith Partnership.  Reports from NCC General Secretary Robert W.
Edgar and CWS Executive Director John L. McCullough.

Nov. 9, 5:15-6:45 p.m. - Reception with local church leaders.

Nov. 9, 7:30-9 p.m. - Worship at Christ Church Cathedral.  Preaching:
Christian Methodist Episcopal Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., President, National
Council of Churches.

Nov. 10, 10:30-11:45 a.m. - "Rotation Forum" on the programmatic ministries
of the NCC and CWS.  Each delegate will have the opportunity to participate
in three presentations.   

Nov. 10, Noon-2 p.m. - Awards of Excellence Banquet.  Awards include: 

- Unity Award being presented to the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, Allen and
Dottie Miller Professor of Mission, Peace and Ecumenical Studies, Eden
Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.

- Peace and Justice Award being presented to Baldemar Velasquez, President,
Farm Labor Organizing Committee, and William Bryan, Mt. Olive Pickle Company,
who on Sept. 16 signed an agreement that ended the 5-1/2 year consumer
boycott of Mt. Olive.  

- Hope Award being presented to Tim Janis, Music with a Mission.

- J. Irwin Miller Award, recipient TBA.  In honor of an NCC founder and early
president who died in August 2004.

Nov. 10, 4-6 p.m. - Action on Policy Statement, "The Church and Children:
Vision and Goals for the 21st Century," which describes the mandate, vision
and goals for churches' work together for the welfare of all children, and
Release of a New Study Guide for Congregations on Human Genetics, a project
of the NCC's Human Genetics Policy Development Task Force.

Nov. 11, 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Assembly Peace Banquet, focusing on the Decade to
Overcome Violence, a global observance led by the World Council of Churches. 
Highlights:

- Music by singer Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) and by Kulna Sawa, a
young adult musical group from Damascus, Syria, that includes Christian and
Muslim performers.

- Stories of people and organizations in the St. Louis area making a positive
witness for peace.

- Jam session with the musicians to follow.

-end-

The National Council of Churches USA, founded in 1950, is the leading force
for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States. The
Council's 36 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox member churches include 45
million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities
across the nation.

As they gather in the Council, the member communions grow in understanding of
each other's traditions. They work to identify and fully claim those areas of
belief they hold in common; they celebrate the diverse and unique gifts that
each church brings to ecumenical life, and together they study those issues
that divide the churches. And they cooperate in many joint programs of
education, advocacy and service that address critically important needs and
that witness to our common faith in Jesus Christ.

For more information about the National Council of Churches USA, visit
www.ncccusa.org or write:

National Council of Churches USA
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 880
New York, NY 10115 USA

Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of these 36 Protestant,
Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and
development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance in partnership
worldwide.  CWS works with the ecumenical family of the National Council of
Churches as an independent not-for-profit.

The agency is known across the US for its 2,000 regional CROP Walks, raising
awareness and funds to fight hunger and poverty.

For more information on Church World Service, visit
www.churchworldservice.org or call (800) 297-1516.