The National Council of Churches Promotes Collaborative Action for Social Justice.

The National Council of Churches has a long history of bringing denominational church bodies together for cooperative work on important issues of social justice. This National Council of Churches history goes back to 1908, when in the midst of the widespread injustices of the Gilded Age the first Social Creed was adopted by the Council of Churches, a predecessor of the National Council of Churches to challenge churches to work for social justice.

The first Social Creed of the Council of Churches focused especially on the economic injustices of that turn-of-the-century era. It aimed to activate a broad social movement to end child labor, the seven-day work week, exploitation of women, poverty-level wages, inhumane health conditions, and dangerous working conditions in factories and in mines.

The National Council of Churches enabled the denominations to become partners with organized labor, government agencies, and progressive movements. Through this partnership, the  National Council of Churches assisted in the coordinated efforts to enact new legislation, change public policy, and empower marginalized people to collaborate for more just, equitable, safe, and productive economic conditions in the U.S.

In 2007, the National Council of Churches worked cooperatively with the denominations to write a new Social Creed for the Twenty-first Century. This new social creed takes a global perspective with regard to a wider range of justice issues including the environment, education, health care, and economic responsibility.

The Journeys Into Justice book includes the text of the new Social Creed for the Twenty-first Century, created by the National Council of Churches, and ten case histories of collaborative action for engaging diverse organizations in the ongoing work of forging a more just and equitable society. Such collaboration is strengthened by positive, inclusive religious values, sharing of resources, building mutual trust, a long-term perspective, and focused action on specific social justice goals. This collaborative social justice work is continuously encouraged by the National Council of Churches.

Want to learn more about the work of the National Council of Churches? Get your copy of Journeys into Justice today!