The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is a religious organization currently (2006) consisting of 35 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox Christian denominations in the United States, and is widely regarded as a leading force within the ecumenical movement of Christianity. NCC is related fraternally to the World Council of Churches, but the two organizations have no administrative connection. A sister organization, Church World Service, is a humanitarian and relief arm of the NCC's member denominations.

The National Council of Churches was organized in 1950, and its forerunner, the Federal Council of Churches was founded in 1908.

Headquarters are located in New York, New York, with a public-policy office on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.

Representatives of the NCC's member denominations meet together annually in a general assembly, with several other

Contributions

Among the NCC's contributions are:

• the translation of the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
• the Uniform Sunday School Lesson Series, used for more than a century by many denominations as the basis for curriculum and study materials.
• the publication of an annual Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches
• extensive work on environmental, peace and social justice issues.

Criticism

Conservative

There has been an ongoing conservative reaction to the work of the NCC. Some evangelicals, most fundamentalists, and the religious right generally view the NCC as a left-wing organization. The NCC has long voiced support for civil rights, fair minimum wage laws, environmental stewardship, affirmative action , and other policies generally supported by political progressives in the United States and opposed by the political right. In addition, the translations of the Bible by the NCC have tended toward gender-neutral language.

Liberal

The NCC has consistently declined to take public positions on issues where

Online

The National Council of Churches provides extensive, searchable online resources through its Web site () and at a membership-based advocacy Web site, FaithfulAmerica (). Occasional e-mailed updates about these services, sent to constituents as part of their participation in the Council's work, sometimes cause critics to accuse the NCC of spamming; however, every such message provides a clearly identified "unsubscribe" option in full compliance with all regulations applying to such correspondence.

Member denominations (January 2006)

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• African Methodist Episcopal Church --
• The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
• Alliance of Baptists --
• American Baptist Churches USA --
• Diocese of the Armenian Church of America --
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) --
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church --
• Church of the Brethren --
• The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America --
• The Episcopal Church in the United States of America --
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America --
• Friends United Meeting --
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America --
• Hungarian Reformed Church in America --
• International Council of Community Churches --
• Korean Presbyterian Church in America
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
• Mar Thoma Church --
• Moravian Church in America Northern Province and Southern Province --
• National Baptist Convention of America --
• National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. --
• National Missionary Baptist Convention of America --
• Orthodox Church in America --
• Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA --
• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends --
• Polish National Catholic Church of America --
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) --
• Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. --
• Reformed Church in America --
• Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada --
• The Swedenborgian Church of North America --
• Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch --
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America --
• United Church of Christ --
• The United Methodist Church --