Faith in the Public Square

The Capital Area Council of Churches invites the community to celebrate the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 15 at Macedonia Baptist Church, 26 Wilson Avenue in Albany. The program begins at 7 p.m. Held annually on January 15, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, this Interfaith Memorial Service brings the community together to honor his legacy by raising funds for graduating high school seniors that are attending college in the Fall. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship was established in 1973 to honor the memory of the life and work of Dr. King and to preserve the legacy of the nonviolent human rights movement as it was expressed in his life and teachings.   For more information, or to donate to the scholarship fund, click here .

Congratulations to all the honorees at last night's 84 th  Anniversary Awards Celebration of the Capital Area Council of Churches. The theme was “Building Bridges.” Here is a list the recipients.   Kathleen Burgess was awarded the Micah 6:8 Award. Kate is the founder and Regional Director of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) in Albany, a ministry of the Jesuits.   The Rev. D. Lowell Chilton Pastor received The Rev. Joyce Giles Pastoral Award.  He is the pastor of First Lutheran Church, Albany, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Loudonville, and one of the chaplains of the Albany Maritime Ministry, offering hospitality, spiritual care, and shore leave transportation for seafarers on cargo ships visiting the Capital Region.   Kitt Jackson received the Evelyn C. Stone Lifetime Achievement Award. During her 17 years as the Administrative Director of the Council, she was part of the CROP Hunger Walk Committee, eventually becoming its chair. Kitt's efforts ...

The New York State Council of Churches is looking for sponsors for its 10th Annual Awards and Fundraising Gala to be on November 13 at the Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel, at 660 Albany Shaker Road in Albany. The evening will honor exceptional individuals with awards such as:      Excellence in Housing Justice Award    Excellence in Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations Award      Excellence in Social Justice Award      Excellence in Union Organizing Award      Edwin Muller Chaplaincy Award For more information on sponsorship opportunities, click here .

The annual John U. Miller CROP Hunger Walk, sponsored by the Capital Area Council of Churches, will take place at St. Vincent’s Roman Catholic Church, 900 Madison Avenue in Albany this Sunday, May 4.    Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. with the walk starting at 2:30 p.m.   According to the Council’s website, CROP stands for “Communities Respond to Overcome Poverty”. People of all ages collect pledges and walk in one of the CROP Walks that take place in the greater Capital District. The John U. Miller CROP Hunger Walk occurs each year on the first Sunday in May. Congregations throughout Albany County join together to end hunger, one step at a time.   To learn more, or to register on-line for the event, click here .

The annual ecumenical Good Friday Service of the Capital Area Council of Churches will be at noon on April 18 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Albany. It also will be live-streamed.   Based on the last seven words of Christ on the cross, the service will feature clergy and laity from a variety of denominations . The year’s speakers are:   The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson (Episcopal Diocese of Albany) The Rev. Dr. Amaury Tañón-Santos (Sycamore Collaborative) The Rev. Heather Kirk-Davidoff (Westminster Presbyterian Church) The Rev. Elizabeth Moses (Bethany Reformed Church) The Rev. David Moore (Presbyterian, retired) Fr. James Kane (Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany) The Rev. Glendora Battle (Welcome Chapel, Missionary Baptist Church) To register for the livestream, click  https://www.capareacc.org/programs/good-friday-ecumenical-service/

In response to a letter from several Palestinian Christian leaders to their fellow Christians around the world, the New York State Council of Churches is inviting people to join a “Living Stones” solidarity tour of Palestine and Israel in May.  The tour, May 4 to 16, will be led by Dr. Michael Spath, Executive Director of the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, who has led multiple trips to Palestine and Israel. In their letter, the Palestine Christian leaders wrote, “We write to you with heavy hearts but steadfast spirits, seeking your solidarity and presence in a time of great need. The land where Jesus once walked, the Holy Land, has been enduring decades of turmoil, displacement, and violence. Our communities are under continuous attack, and our people, though resilient, feel increasingly isolated. We deeply appreciate the prayers offered from afar, but now, more than ever, we need our Christian sisters and brothers to join us here, to pray with ...