National Council of Churches Prepares for “Ecumenical Winter”

on November 14, 2012
NCC President Kathryn Lohre speaks at the Methodist Building’s chapel service.

The National Council of Churches Governing Board met at the Washington, DC United Methodist Building to discuss restructuring, finances, and future prospects. The venerable ecumenical body has fallen upon economic hard times as of late; financial strains leave the NCC’s future unsure. An ashen-faced president Kathryn Lohre confessed, “Are we in an ecumenical winter or ecumenical spring?…We’re clearly in the ecumenical winter.” “We are challenged to ground our hope in anticipation of growth and newness,” she furthered. Lohre foretold a “dormancy…a blessed gestation period” for the organization.

The board explored the new NCC workflow model. Transitional General Secretary Peg Birk instructed, “It’s an experiment. It doesn’t mean we’ve given up or won’t move forward.” NCC representatives will have to “relinquish ways of working together used for a long time.” “Change is hard,” she warned.

In conclusion, Birk stated, “It’s not about the money. It’s about the NCC living into its call to visible unity….” The apparent pessimism nevertheless indicates that matters are not all well in the world of federal ecumenism. Representatives took a break from business this afternoon to petition Congressional leaders to support entitlement programs during the lame duck period.

Stay tuned as IRD keeps abreast of policy developments over the meeting’s course. Meanwhile comment below or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

  1. Comment by Alex P on November 14, 2012 at 5:45 pm

    “Change is hard.” No kidding. The same stupid liberal cliches, decade after decade, the same hogwash about Jesus and his “inclusive” (as in “No morals here!”) church. Jump out of bed on Sunday and rush to church to hear your gay pastor preach about reducing your carbon footprint. If that isn’t New Testament Christianity,what is?

    When the NCC starts having its staff meetings in a booth at Wendy’s, they still won’t get it.

  2. Comment by Gary on November 14, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    Alex P – can’t say it any better so why try – great post! Thanks.

  3. Comment by Mark on November 14, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    The dirty little secret that a lot of these theo-political liberals are in denial about: it’s mainly the traditionalists and conservatives who fund the church. Separate yourself from them and you separate yourself from your funding (hello Wendy’s phone booth).

    The libs who do get it know they cannot be transparent about their true agenda.

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  5. Comment by Donnie on November 15, 2012 at 10:46 am

    My hope and prayer is for the NCC to go under. They’ve used God’s name in vain to spread a godless, progressive agenda for far too long.

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