Faith in the Public Square

  This week, the New York State Council of Churches announced that Rashida Tyler, former Deputy Director of the Council, has been named its Executive Director. She replaces Rev. Peter Cook, who served as Executive Director for ten years before leaving the position in March. In making the announcement, Gary VanKrennen, president of the Executive Committee, noted that Tyler is the first African-American woman elected to lead the statewide ecumenical organization. He said, "Rashida brings deep faith, strong organizational leadership, and lifelong commitment to justice to this role. We are confident that Rashida's leadership will build on the Council's historic legacy while charting a new path for its future." The announcement said that she will focus on "strengthening congregations, advancing housing affordability, helping end homelessness, and continuing the Council's long public witness for human dignity, civil rights, workers' rights, criminal justice ref...

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 .

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 ...

  The New York State Council of Churches will have its annual Ecumenical and Interfaith Advocacy Days on March 3 and 4 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut Street in Albany. The event begins with an evening program and reception on Monday, March 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the church. On Tuesday, March 4, attendees will gather at the church for coffee at 9 a.m., followed by  sessions on legislative issues. Lunch will be provided. A 12:30 p.m. news conference at the Capitol will be followed by legislative visits from 1-4:30 p.m. The cost for the event is $30 but the Council says that no one will be turned away. To register, click here .

Because of the expected snow storm, this event has been re-scheduled to March 20-21. The New York State Council of Churches will have its annual Ecumenical and Interfaith Advocacy Days in Albany on February 27 and 28. This year’s focus is on immigration and the housing crisis in New York.   According to promotional material, the Council expects that the Governor and the Legislature will focus on addressing the affordable housing crisis in 2023. In addition, they believe, the issue of immigration will be front and center on the political stage because of the lifting of Title 42 and the influx of immigrants across the state.   The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. on Monday with a gathering at Westminster Presbyterian Church , 262 State Street in Albany. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. The guest preacher is Reverend Reginald Bacchus, Senior Pastor at Mt. Ollie Baptist Church in Brownsville, Brooklyn. A reception will follow at 8:00 p.m.   Participants will gather again at the ch...

On Monday, I got to join Rev. Peter Cook, Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches , and representatives of various faith communities for one of a series of Zoom meetings to lobby our state legislators ahead of the budget deadline this Friday. As the deadline draws closer, the Council is working diligently to ensure its legislative priorities are presented to the Governor and legislators. These meetings follow the Council’s Virtual Ecumenical and Interfaith Advocacy Day in February, an annual event that draws people from across the state. To my mind, it is one of the most informative and effective advocacy events for people of faith in New York. That may be one reason why Governor Kathy Hochul was willing to address the group. Among the issues of concern to the Council are criminal justice reform, gun violence prevention, economic development, affordable housing, education, wages, our children, environmental justice, health care, immigration, labor rights and voti...

The New York State Council of Churches will have its sixth annual awards and fundraising gala on Wednesday, December 8. The gala will be held virtually from 6:30 to 8 with a reception from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Awards will be presented in five different categories to individuals and organizations all across the state.   More information about the event and the opportunity to purchase a sponsorship or make a donation is available here .    Here is list of those being honored: ‍ Excellence in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Community Development Award Bishop Dr. R. C. Hugh Nelson, Senior Pastor, Church of God of East Flatbush Partnering with Brisa Builders Development Corporation, Church of God of East Flatbush completed 315 units of affordable housing in the neighborhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn New York as part of their Ebeneezer Plaza development. The Reverend Dr. William Shillady and The United Methodist City Society Partnering with The Bronx Pro Group, United Methodist C...

The New York State Council of Churches is promoting local participation in an international program called “Ring the Bells for Climate Justice.” At 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 30, churches across the United States will be ringing their bells for 30 minutes in support of the Climate Gathering in Glasgow, Scotland. According to the announcement, “Church bells have traditionally been used as warnings and this time the danger to humanity couldn't be greater. Let our bells be our voice for climate justice!”   The gathering, known as COP 26, is the 26 th  meeting of the Conference of Parties. This UN global warming conference will address the threat of climate change.   Among the local churches that are participating are First United Methodist of East Greenbush, First Reformed Schenectady, Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church in Saratoga Springs, and Messiah Lutheran Church in Rotterdam.    For more information and to let the Council know that your c...

Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian Christian and human rights activist who served as the head of the Legal Committee negotiating the Cairo Agreement of 1994 between Israel and the PLO, will discuss the current crisis in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Sunday, October 21, at Trinity Community Center, 705 Curry Road in Rotterdam. Billed as a Community Conversation entitled "Beyond the Two-State Solution," the session is hosted by Messiah Lutheran Church of Schenectady, with support from the New York State Council of Churches.   In this YouTube video , Kuttab explains that the two-state solution (that he supported) is no longer viable. He proposes a one-state solution that challenges both Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism.    Kuttab is the co-founder of the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq and co-founder of Nonviolence International. A well-known international human rights attorney, he practices in the United States, Palestine, and Israel. He serves on the Board of Be...

The newsletter of the New York State Council of Churches highlights its state legislative agenda regarding issues such as the environment, health, housing, and criminal justice reform. Here is a summary of some of those issues.  The Council supports the Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA), “a landmark environmental justice bill” which will impose a carbon tax on corporate polluters and use the resulting revenues (estimated to reach $15 billion per year) to invest in frontline communities, build sustainable energy infrastructure, and create good, green jobs.  The CCIA is essential to realizing the vision of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, which put New York State on the leading edge of the fight against catastrophic climate change.   People of faith can sign a letter urging legislators to pass this legislation.  The Securing Wages Earned Against Theft (SWEAT) Coalition seeks “to protect workers and honest businesses by stemming w...