Donate to the NCC

Our Shared Mission is to bring classical Christian moral instruction to bear on the conversation and debate surrounding public policy and to mobilize the clergy for effective witness and work in the public square.

The National Clergy Council is a network of church leaders from Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. We use our voices, pens and pulpits to address the critical issues of the day and bring to them a proper perspective, informed by the Word of God and classical Christian moral instruction. Members, both clergy and lay, subscribe to a strict interpretation of the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. The NCC is not a lobbying group or partisan political organization, but rather a prophetic witness to Biblical Truth in the public arena.

Recognizing and respecting the proper boundaries of conscience between one another’s communions, we do not require members to say public prayers together nor concelebrate those sacraments or ordinances that would violate such boundaries. We instead concentrate on the areas of agreement where our shared Christian witness can make an effective difference.

Formed in Western New York in 1989, the National Clergy Council moved its headquarters to Washington, DC, in 1994. We are represented by the Council’s executive committee, a body that includes members from the following churches and denominations:

African Methodist Episcopal
Assemblies of God
Baptist (Independent, Southern, American)
Brethren
Charismatic Episcopal Church
Christian Church
Church of Christ
Episcopal Church USA
Evangelical Church Alliance
Full Gospel Baptist International
Independent
Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod, Conservative Association)
Melkite Catholic Church
Methodist Episcopal
Nazarene
Orthodox Church in America
Pentecostal
Presbyterian (USA, PCA, Reformed)
Reformed Church
Reformed Episcopal Church
Roman Catholic
United Methodist
Wesleyan
Zion Church

The NCC concerns itself with several core issues:

The Sanctity of Human Life (conception until natural death)
The Sanctity of Human Sexuality (to be expressed only within marriage between a man and a woman)
The Sanctity of Marriage (as between one man and one woman in lifelong monogamy)
The Sanctity of Family (expressed in its most natural and healthy way as the traditional configuration of mother, father and children, followed by extended family)
Ending Violence directed at the innocent, everywhere and in all of its forms
Religious Liberty issues

The NCC invites ordained and licensed clergy including deacons, elders, evangelists, ministers, missionaries, pastors, priests, rabbis and other preachers to lifetime membership.

Lifetime Members receive a handsome certificate suitable for framing. Lifetime Members are also invited to the annual Faith and Action Winter Conference in Washington, DC, and are eligible for candidacy to the College of Preachers, Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa), and Professional Fellowship programs.

Lay Associate Members support the Council by becoming supporting members of its affiliate, Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital.

NATIONAL CLERGY COUNCIL
DOCTOR OF DIVINITY AWARD (honoris causae)

The National Clergy Council continues a long tradition of recognizing those who make outstanding contributions to the life of the Christian Church within the framework of their own traditions by conferring the ecclesiastical title of Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) upon worthy recipients in cooperation with the Joint Academic Commission and the Atlantic Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church (the old line conservative Methodist church, not affiliated with the United Methodist or Episcopal Church USA).

The DD is one of the oldest titles in the Christian church. It denotes distinguished service in the work of ministry with the degree, title and hood being granted to candidates at the Biannual Joint Convocation held on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

COLLEGE OF PREACHERS

Those clergy who do not meet the basic requirements for the Doctor of Divinity recognition can be nominated to the National Clergy Council College of Preachers. Appointment to the College of Preachers is based on an extraordinary contribution to the advancement of the Gospel and Biblical Truth through the medium of preaching. Candidates for the College are nominated by way of letter from their respective representative bodies such as their congregations, congregational leaders, boards, vestries, elders and / or deacons, staff, bishop(s), superintendent(s) or other supervisory agents or agencies. Nominees are confirmed and vested at the same convocation with Doctor of Divinity candidates.

PROFESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

All members of the National Clergy Council may enroll in the Council’s Professional Fellowship Program. Candidates qualify for the status of Fellow by completing a three-day seminar held in Washington, DC. Seminar topics include: The Role of the Preacher in modern American culture, Ministering Beyond Your Church walls, Building Alliances, and Using the Media as Your Other Pulpit. Upon completion of the program, the candidate is declared a lifetime Fellow of the National Clergy Council and receives a handsome certificate suitable for framing.

The National Clergy Council also sponsors panel discussions, symposia and frequent news conferences. Members are invited to participate in these forums. Examples of these events can be found at HERE.

FAQ’S

Is the National Clergy Council an “ecumenical” group?

We prefer the term “interconfessional” to describe the nature of the National Clergy Council. While the word “ecumenical” literally means “the whole house,” relating to the “whole church” as it is expressed in all its forms, it has come to suggest something different to modern American ears. Some take ecumenical to mean an attempt to blend all forms of Christianity or even all forms of religion into one. In contrast, we respect each other’s differences. We do not seek to erase differences in doctrine or dogmatics; rather, we seek to build alliances of sometimes-disparate communities within the Body of Christ; in so doing, we cross traditional, denominational and cultural lines. No member is ever asked to abandon or modify his or her doctrinal beliefs. Instead, we join hands, hearts, and actions across our differences to bring the moral claims of Christ to bear on the hearts and minds of those who make public policy in our nation.

What exactly does the National Clergy Council believe?

We believe that Christian Clergy—those who name Jesus Christ to be Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead—have a vital role to play in modern society. As much as they are servants to God’s people, they are also “prophets” who declare the mind and will of God to the nation. We find common confession in the Apostles’ Creed, but we do not sponsor services of Holy Communion nor Holy Baptism because of the significant differences in our understandings on these matters. Neither do we require members to pray together, publicly or privately.

Can anyone join?

Any member of the clergy from any Christian Trinitarian body—ordained, licensed, or lay—may apply for membership in the Council. Admission decisions are made by the executive officers. You may apply online or by mail.

What does it cost?

Membership in the National Clergy Council is for life upon payment of one-time dues of $150.

What benefits do I receive as a member of the NCC?

The first thing you get is the satisfaction of knowing that you are part of a growing and dynamic network of colleagues that are of like-mind and heart. Second, you gain access to the shared knowledge, experience and resources of such a network. And, third, you send a message to others that you take seriously your “prophetic” role in society. Your handsome certificate displayed on your wall says that your responsibility to communicate God’s truth does not end at the exit door of the church.