Church leaders meet with Obama on eve of election

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

On Election Eve, Top U.S. Christian Leaders Meet with President 
Obama, Spea k for Americans Who Are Struggling

>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

>November 1, 2010

CONTACT: Kristin Williams, Faith in Public Life, 202.459.8625, 
kwilliams@fa ithinpubliclife.org 

National Council of Churches and Church World Service Urge Focus on 
Common  Good, Fighting Hunger and Poverty 

This afternoon, on the eve of the mid-term election and in 
celebration of 1 00 years of U.S. Christian cooperation across 
denominational lines, promine nt American Christian leaders met with 
President Obama to speak for the mil lions of Americans struggling to 
find jobs, make their next rent or mortgag e payment, and put food on 
the table.

Leaders with both the National Council of Churches and the global 
humanitar ian agency Church World Service thanked President Obama for 
passage of hist oric health reform legislation and robust engagement 
with the faith communi ty, while also pressing him to take a strong 
stance on behalf of families f acing poverty and hunger.  

"As the economic downturn has battered the middle class, it has been 
even m ore devastating to those already living on the economic 
margins of society, " said Rev. Peg Chemberlin, the president of the 
National Council of Church es, which represents 45 million people and 
100,000 congregations in the U.S .  "Our denominations and 
organizations are on the front lines-providing  meals, support, and 
assistance to those hit hard by the economic downturn-b ut we know 
that more needs to be done." 

As political campaign rhetoric has descended into fear-mongering and 
divisi veness in the past few months, these leaders also spoke in a 
unified voice  to inject civility and hope back into the public 
dialogue.   The delega tion emphasized the need to work together 
towards the common good and the p ower of churches to lead and break 
down walls of division across the world.  

"Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's election, our faithful 
witness is  needed now more than ever," said Rev. Michael Kinnamon, 
general secretary o f the National Council of Churches.  "We cannot 
stand by while people of  goodwill are baselessly attacked for their 
faith, their political beliefs,  or their identity.  We have no 
reason to fear or demonize those who are d ifferent from ourselves.  
Today, tomorrow, and into this next Congress, o ur country needs to 
come together and reclaim our values of justice and equ ality." 

Church World Service, which annually sponsors CROP Hunger Walks in 
2,000 co mmunities across the nation to raise funds to assist local 
and global hunge r programs, urged the President to help implement 
domestic and internationa l policies to make sure all families and 
children have access to nutritious , affordable food. 

"We are facing a severe global economic crisis, and the repercussions 
exten d beyond the borders of our country," said John McCullough, 
president and C EO of Church World Service.  "As families in the U.S. 
find their househol d budgets more and more strained, families in the 
developing world are hurt ing too.  Today, we asked for the 
President's leadership in crafting poli cies that ensure men, women, 
and children have access to nutritious food an d that we invest in 
diversified agriculture and ongoing community-based nut rition 
education." enough  food  and adequate nutrition for all, partic 
ularly children, as well as policies that support sustainable, 
diversified  food production. 

Leaders of major Christian denominations joined NCC and CWS leaders 
to than k the President for his leadership and to urge him to 
prioritize a number o f issues, including strengthening our fraying 
safety net, extending unemplo yment benefits as the economy continues 
to falter, and lifting people out o f poverty with a focus on job 
creation for those in poverty, job training,  and education.  

"As voters go to the polls tomorrow, they go with a sense of deep 
anxiety a bout their fragile economic situations.  It is absolutely 
crucial for our  political leaders to govern with a profound 
understanding of the hardships  Americans are facing," said Rev. 
Michael Livingston, director of the newly -launched NCC Poverty 
Initiative. "More and more families are losing their  homes and 
struggling to make ends meet.  As a faith community, we have a  moral 
obligation to speak out for the 'least of these' and urge Congress an 
d President Obama to make combating poverty and hunger a top 
priority." 

The delegation also raised pressing issues around Middle East peace 
and the  U.S.'s fraught relationship with Cuba, urging the President 
to lift the tr avel ban from the U.S. to Cuba so that American-based 
organizations like Ch urch World Service can support churches and 
communities in Cuba. Other issu es raised included energy and 
climate, and care for those hit first and wor st by climate change, 
as well as immigration reform.
 
The delegation also included Bishop Johncy Itty of Church World 
Service, Bi shop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 
America, Bishop John  R. Bryant of the African Methodist Episcopal 
(AME) Church, Rev. Sharon Wat kins of the Christian Church (Disciples 
of Christ), Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt,  Jr. of the Christian Methodist 
Episcopal Church, Mr. Stanley J. Noffsinger  of the Church of the 
Brethren, Archbishop Khajag S. Barsamian of the Armeni an Church of 
America, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of The Episcopal Chu rch, 
Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Church of America, Rev. 
Gra dye Parsons of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Rev. Dr. Betsy 
Miller of the  Moravian Church, Thomas Swain of the Religious Society 
of Friends, Rev. Wes ley S. Granberg-Michaelson of the Reformed 
Church in America, Bishop Sharon  Zimmerman Rader of the United 
Methodist Church, Metropolitan Jonah of the  Orthodox Church in 
America, Rev. Geoffrey Black of the United Church of Chr ist, and Dr. 
Walter L. Parrish III of the  Progressive National Baptist C 
onvention.  The delegation presented the President with a Saint 
John's Bi ble, a framed sampler of statements commemorating 100 years 
of ecumenism, a nd a picture plaque commemorating the Church World 
Service's "Feed the Fu ture" initiative. 

To schedule phone or in-person interviews with Michael Kinnamon, 
please con tact Philip Jenks (National Council of Churches) at 
646-853-4212 and to sch edule interviews with John McCullough, please 
contact Lesley Crosson (Churc h World Service) at 212-870-2676.  For 
other requests, please contact Kri stin Williams (Faith in Public 
Life) at 202-459-8625.      

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of 
Christ  in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical 
cooperation among Chri stians in the United States. The NCC's 36 
member faith groups -- from a wid e spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, 
Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African  American and Living Peace 
churches -- include 45 million persons in more t han 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 ( cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org