The Christian Unity Gathering of the National Council of Churches will be held from November 8-10, 2017 at the Sheraton Hotel in Silver Spring, MD. Please register and join us at this year’s CUG.
Our theme is “Resilience, Resistance, and Persistence,” which I believe effectively captures the mood of these times. There will be numerous highlights at the Christian Unity Gathering. Among them:
- Our opening worship sermon on the evening of November 8 will be delivered by Darin Moore, one of the great preachers in our nation. Darin serves as the chair of the NCC’s Governing Board and as Presiding Bishop of the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. You will not want to miss his message.
- We will visit the new National Museum of African American History and Culture on the morning of November 9. The museum has just celebrated its first anniversary and remains the most popular attraction in Washington, DC. CUG participants will gain early entrance to the museum and spend time with Associate Director Dr. Rex Ellis. Perhaps nothing better exemplifies “Resilience, Resistance, and Persistence” than this fabulous museum.
- On the evening of November 9, our banquet speaker is the remarkable Vanita Gupta, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and former assistant attorney general of the United States. Additionally, at the banquet, we will be honoring those who have been at the forefront of the ecumenical movement and in efforts to further interfaith relations.
- The CUG will feature several excellent workshops including a full day focus on mass incarceration on November 8 led by the Children’s Defense Fund. Additional workshops will highlight the new racial justice truth-telling ministry of the NCC and the recent leadership delegation to the Middle East.
Plus, every Christian Unity Gathering is an ‘ecumenical revival’ where we renew our commitment to Christ and deepen our relationships with one another. When I attend a conference, I consider it a success if I hear one good speaker, make one new friend, and learn of a good book to read.
This CUG will exceed those expectations. In fact, we’ll have occasion during the Gathering to celebrate a new book produced by our Faith & Order Convening Table. We will have seminary students present from across the nation, so you will have an opportunity to make new friends from a rising generation of church leaders and ecumenists.
Please join us for the Christian Unity Gathering. Don’t delay. It is possible if you wait too long to register, we will not be able to fit you into the visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Most importantly, we will share our faith and prepare ourselves for the journey ahead which requires resilience, resistance, and persistence.
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