The night before his death, Jesus prayed that we who believe in him might all be one (John 17:21). We want to be faithful in responding to this wish of Jesus. But we know that our churches are not simply different from one another but divided in many ways. The churches have given the Theological Dialogue on Matters of Faith and Order Convening Table the work of speaking together about the Gospel and our church communities in ways that will lead to healing our divisions while honoring our diversity.
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) has received the widest acclaim and broadest support from academics and church leaders of any modern English translation. It is the only Bible translation that is as widely ecumenical: Endorsed by thirty-three Protestant churches, it has also received the imprimatur of the American and Canadian Conferences of Catholic bishops, and the blessing of a leader of the Greek Orthodox Church.
"As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). As disciples, we seek to testify to the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, to embody that love in the world, and to respond to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit. We seek God’s grace in our common effort to understand ever more fully how to live as the body of Christ in this religiously plural and culturally diverse time and place.
At the core of Christian faith is a commitment to work on behalf of and with those marginalized by our society; the hungry, sick, poor, prisoners, strangers and powerless people (Matt. 25:44). Jesus’ life provides the model by which we are to work for justice and peace in our world. Like the Old Testament prophets, we raise our voices with the voiceless and help victims defend themselves from injustice.
For over sixty years, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has joined hearts and voices to proclaim the one who embodies God’s love and promise of unity: Jesus Christ.
As a community of Christian churches we live out the good news of Christ in more ways than any one of us can manage or imagine alone–as individuals and as churches. This is precisely the benefit of our covenant with one another: we can be together where we cannot be alone, and we can do together what we cannot do alone as witnesses to the living Christ.
As a covenant community, we are 40 million Christians in over 100,000 congregations from 38 diverse member communions, all united by our common commitment to follow Christ. We work side by side with Christian, interfaith, and secular partners in communities across the nation and around the world.
