Press Statements

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
Psalm 46:1-3 NRSVue

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is mourning the loss of thousands of lives in Turkey and Syria following a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the region in the early hours of Monday, Feb. 6. The death toll from the quake has surpassed 17,000 people, and is still rising with tens of thousands injured, hundreds of thousands displaced, and thousands of buildings toppled.

NCC is urging congregations in the U.S. to join the global community in praying for and supporting those impacted, as aftershocks, inclement weather conditions, civil war in Syria, and a refugee crisis on the border between the two countries, have made efforts to rescue those who may be trapped in the rubble risky and extremely difficult. Disaster and humanitarian relief organizations around the world, such as Lutheran World Relief, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and International Orthodox Christian Charities, are responding to the crisis and providing assistance to those who have been left desolate, without food, shelter or personal belongings. Many are also grieving the loss of loved ones or still searching for those who are missing.

Compounding our sadness, we have learned that the earthquake, which was one of the strongest in 100 years, caused the collapse of a historic 19th century Syriac Orthodox Church, and severe damage to a Greek Orthodox Church, both in Aleppo, Syria. The churches are related to NCC member communions, and of particular note within the ecumenical community, these were the home churches of Archbishop Gregorios Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and Archbishop Bolous Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church, the clerics that were kidnapped by ISIS terrorists in 2013 and never found.

Rev. Deacon George A. Kiraz, who serves as the Syriac Orthodox Ecumenical Representative to the NCC, and Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, described the harrowing conditions on the ground. “The Syriac Orthodox cathedral of Adıyaman, 150 kilometers northeast of the epicenter, collapsed entirely, burying some individuals. People fear staying at night in their homes, which are now damaged, and spend the cold nights in the streets,” he said. 

In response to this tragedy, His Eminence Archbishop John Kawak of the Syriac Orthodox Church for the Eastern USA, will be holding a service of prayer for all those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, with the Massachusetts Council of Churches today, Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at St. Matthew Syriac Orthodox Church, 149 Park Street, West Roxbury, MA. The vespers liturgy will be led by Archbishop John in the Syrian Orthodox tradition, with the invitation for others to follow offering prayers from their own traditions.

“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this horrific disaster. The humanitarian toll is heavy in both countries and calls for our immediate response,” said Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC’s Interim President and General Secretary. “It is in moments like these that our faith teaches us to pray for one another and to do our part to be the hands and feet of God in the world by supporting those in need.”

To support recovery efforts taking place in Turkey and Syria, donations can be made to Lutheran World Relief, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and International Orthodox Christian Charities.

For more information about the prayer service in Massachusetts, please contact Rev. Laura Everett, MCC’s Executive Director at [email protected].

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

she refuses to be comforted for her children,

because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:18, NRSVue)

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) mourns the senseless killing of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black male who died from injuries sustained after a brutal beating at the hands of police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.

We pray for the Nichols family as they lay their loved one to rest today, and as they determine ways to honor Tyre’s legacy going forward. We join in solidarity with faith leaders in Memphis and surrounding areas who are providing moral and spiritual leadership to communities mourning this tragedy.

We applaud the swift action of Memphis and Shelby County authorities to terminate and criminally charge those involved in this tragedy. We will continue to monitor this investigation and connect with Memphis area faith leaders to ensure all parties are held accountable, and that the family and community have the resources they need to heal from such a heartrending and unnecessary incident. 

We decry yet another act of police violence against an unarmed and nonviolent citizen. The videos of the incident revealed an abhorrent disregard for human life that we collectively must ensure never happens again. Yet, we recognize that this kind of violence continues to permeate our nation’s culture. We must intensify our efforts to end policing that intimidates and traumatizes communities of color rather than protecting and serving them. A traffic violation should not be a death sentence.

While we affirm and support the many law enforcement officers who take seriously their oath to serve our communities daily, we cannot ignore the prevalence of excessive force used by police officers against Black and Brown people. 

We call upon Congress to act swiftly in passing comprehensive police reform legislation that will hold officers accountable, train them on de-escalation techniques, and end qualified immunity. Our nation also must address the underlying racial vitriol that devalues the lives of people of color and empowers law enforcement to beat someone like Tyre Nichols to death for what required no more than the issuance of a traffic citation. 

Our prayer is that this horrendous display of brutality will be the last such occasion we are prompted to issue a statement of condemnation and that we all commit to using our resources and spheres of influence to hold elected officials at every level of government accountable for passing legislation that it may be so.

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA expresses its concern for the communities in the Holy Land that are being targeted by hostile rhetoric and actions, as well as outright violence and extremism.  No community is safe – Israeli or Palestinian; Jewish, Muslim, or Christian – while this violence is tolerated, if not encouraged, by political leaders. 

Illustrating the distress felt by all residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding region, due to this violence, is the situation of the Armenian Christian community, which has been part of the fabric of Jerusalem since the 4th century and whose community members are now reportedly subject to continual threats.  While we lift them up for particular mention at this time, our concern, and our prayers for peace, extend to all communities in the Holy Land.

For more information on the ecumenical Christian response to the ongoing violence, please see:  https://cmep.salsalabs.org/ps-jan2023-usmustengage