The International Council of Community Churches gathered in Annual Conference July, 2022 and adopted a resolution of the National Council of Churches resolution and call to action on ending gun violence, released in 2010.

The ICCC Board of Directors considered developing its own resolution on gun violence but decided to endorse the NCC 2010 resolution as a constituent member, giving greater impact/authority to the NCC resolution.  The 2010 resolution still addresses the growing gun violence in our nation.  We welcome your ongoing feedback on what your congregation/center/chaplain ministry is doing to prevent gun violence, e.g., forums, cooperating with law enforcement, working with your public officials, etc. 
*A statistical update follows.

At the Ending Gun Violence:
A Resolution and Call to Action by the National Council of Churches of Christ, U.S.A.

“[L]ive in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11

Adopted by the Governing Board May 17. 2010

This Resolution and Call to Action is a collaboration of the member communions of the National Council of Churches USA (“NCC), with local and regional ecumenical bodies of the United States. It addresses the grievous problem of gun violence in the United States, and is a part of our continuing response to the crisis, faithful to our biblical perspective.

NCC POLICY BASE

This Resolution and Call to Action build upon the 1967 NCC policy statement on firearms control, “Firearms Control-A Policy Statement of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America,” adopted by the General Board (September 15, 1967). [a]

It also draws upon a presentation entitled, “Against Gun Violence,” prepared by the Rev. Michael Livingston, former President of the National Council of Churches and executive director of the International Council of Community Churches, to the General Assembly of the NCC and Church World Service in Minneapolis, MN (2009). [b]

GUN VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES

In an average year, 100,000 Americans are shot or killed with a gun. [4] Every day (on average) 300 Americans are victims of gun violence, with 85 lives taken daily as a result. [4] The United States is rapidly moving from a land of hospitality and freedom to a land of the fearful and the besieged, with gun violence being the driving force behind this change. We have become a nation at war with ourselves and numbed to the sacredness of human life.

Responsible gun ownership can be consistent with our constitutional rights; however, it must be stressed that there are relatively few shootings by average citizens defending themselves. [1] Rather, most fatal and non-fatal shootings result from abuse or misuse of guns. [2] Over 40,000 deaths annually are caused by citizens shooting and killing other citizens, whether these shootings are intentional, accidental, suicidal, drug or gang related.

In the decade following the Federal Assault Weapons Act of 1994 there was a 66% decline in assault weapon use. According to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, if the Act had not been passed and the banned assault weapons continued to make up the same percentage of crime gun traces as before the Act’s passage, approximately 60,000 additional assault weapons would have been traced to crime during the 10 year period-an average of 6,000 additional assault weapons linked to crime each year. [6] The Brady Act was not extended by the Senate once the initial period covered by the legislation ended in 2004.

Annually, there are 1.5 million crimes committed where firearms were used. 68% of murders are gun related and 55% of suicides are by using guns. More than 69,000 shootings each year are non-fatal, yet still leave in their wake a trail of pain, suffering, disabilities and/or disfigurement, and anguish and grief for family and community. [3]

It is also important to recognize that African-Americans and Latinos are being murdered or harmed by gun use at significantly higher rates than the rest of our society. While African Americans compose roughly 12% of the U.S. population, they account for 27% of all gun-related deaths in this country. After African-Americans, Latinos, who are approximately 15% of the population, have the second highest rate of gun homicide rates and gun assaults. [4] The burden that gun violence imposes on women is also striking. Guns account for more murders of women by their intimate partners than all other methods of killing combined. [5]

THE CHRISTIAN CALL TO NON-VIOLENCE

When thinking about the problem of violence, Christian faith is both “idealistic” and “realistic.” On the one hand, there is a stream within the Christian tradition that counsels non­violence in all circumstances. A seminal text is the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew’s gospel, where Jesus instructs his followers to bear violence rather than inflict it.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also …. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you … (Matt. 5: 38-39, 43-44).

It is difficult to imagine that the One whose own Passion models the redemptive power of non-violence would look favorably on the violence of contemporary U.S. society. Present-day violence is made far worse than it otherwise would be by the prevalence of weapons on our streets. This stream of the Christian tradition insists that it is idolatry to trust in guns to make us secure, since that usually leads to mutual escalation while distracting us from the One whose love alone gives us security.

On the other hand, Christians also know, from both experience and scripture, that all humans are sinful, capable of acting with hostile aggression toward their neighbors. This “realistic” view of human nature also argues for restricting access to guns which, in the wrong hands or without adequate supervision, can make violence ever more deadly. Christians can certainly contend that it is necessary for public authorities to take up arms in order to protect citizens from violence; but to allow assault weapons in the hands of the general public can scarcely be justified on Christian grounds. The stark reality is that such weapons end up taking more lives than they defend, and the reckless sale or use of these weapons refutes the gospel’s prohibition against violence.

RESOLUTION AND CALL TO ACTION

No community, church or individual believer can address a problem as complex and intractable as gun violence on its own. Therefore, together, the member communions of National Council of Churches U.S.A. RESOLVE to:

(1) call upon our local, state, and federal legislators to enact reforms that limit access to assault weapons and handguns, including closing the so-called federal “gun show loophole,” which allows for the purchase of firearms from private sellers without submitting to a background check, or providing documentation of the purchase.

(2) participate with movements such as “Heeding God’s Call” (http://www.heedinggodscall.org) to insist that commercial sellers adopt and adhere to responsible sales practices.

(3) prayerfully, financially, and otherwise support the NCC staff in coordinating ecumenical efforts for gun violence reduction, including preparing educational materials about the magnitude of gun violence, developing avenues for dialogue among gun owners and gun control advocates within our congregations, and offering a faithful witness in cooperating with inter-faith and nonreligious anti-gun violence advocacy organizations.

a Appendix A.

b Appendix B.

1 A gun in the home is 11 times more likely to be used in an attempted suicide than to be used to injure or kill in self-defense. Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2006, most recent year available), http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars http://www.bradycampaign.org/issues/gvstats/suicide/

2 In a given year, roughly 642 people killed accidentally are killed accidentally in gun violence. likewise, 15,698 people survive being accidentally shot. On average, nine children are killed by gun violence each day in the U.S. Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centerfor Injury Prevention and Control, Web­based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2006, most recent year available), http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/pdf/facts/2008-death-and-injury-stat-sheet.pdf.

3 Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC Data Source: NEISS All Injury Program operated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for numbers of injuries. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2007). http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.

4 Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2006, most recent year available), http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.

5 Rothman E. F., Hemenway D, Miller M, and Azael D. Batterers’ Use of Guns to Threaten Intimate Partners. Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 200S. 60 (1): p. 62- 68, http://www.wagv.org/gun-violence.php.

*STATISICAL UPDATE ON GUN VIOLENCE FROM DATE OF ORIGINAL RESOLUTION THROUGH JULY 17, 2022

Between January, 2019 and May, 2021 17 million people, including 5 million children, found themselves living in a home with a gun when there wasn’t one before.

Gun Violence Archives reports that in 2021 there were more deaths via guns than in any other year since 2014 when they started to collect and publish data. Total gun deaths: 45,034. This number includes: 20,944 by homicide, 24,090 by suicide, 692 by mass shootings, 28 by mass murder.

Gun Violence Archives reports 81.4 million (44% of adults) Americans own a firearm. Of that number of gun owners 72% own handguns, 62% own rifles (long guns) including automatic and semi­ automatic rifles like the AR-15, and 54% own shotguns.

There are 332 million people in the USA and 393 million guns owned.

There were 693 mass shootings (four or more people shot or killed in a single incident) in the USA in 2021. This is 13.4% higher than 2020. 702 lives were lost. 2844 were injured. Mass shootings occur disproportionately in black and brown communities although they receive relatively little publicity.

Nine of the nation’s largest cities broke homicide records in 2021.

In 2021, twenty-two were killed in school shootings and 80 were injured.

The USA has had, and continues to have, the highest gun suicide rate of any nation in the world! (7.1 per 1OOK people)

In 2021, six states passed “permit less” concealed carry (Constitutional carry). These states (Iowa, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Montana and Utah) were added to the 15 already existing “permit less” states for a total of 21.

According to reporting in the Readers Digest in the 7/15/22 issue, guns killed more people (45K) in the USA in 2021 than automobiles (43 K) even though there are three times as many drivers as gun owners. (234.9 million drivers, 81.4 million gun owners)

The same Readers Digest article noted that each day in 2022 (to date of publication) 321 people were shot in the USA. This includes 22 children. 210 survive and 111 die (42 by murder, 65 by suicide, 1 by accident, 1 by police, 1 unknown).

On National Gun Violence Awareness Day (June 3, 2022) the USA had already reported 235 mass shootings.

On July 17, 2022 the Gun Violence Archive reported 337 mass shootings, 387 dead, 1405 wounded to that date in the USA.

In a 44 day period of time the USA experienced 102 mass shootings! 

According to Stanford University research completed in 2021, states with “right to carry” laws saw CRIME RATES INCREASE by 13-15% over ten years.

According to the Gifford Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence states with stricter gun laws have FEWER PER CAPITA DEATHS.

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INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF COMMUNITY CHURCHES

A Resolution of the Board of Directors ~ October 2021

One hundred fifty-six years after the American Civil War ended and slavery was abolished by the thirteenth amendment to the United States Constitution, the stain of racism still infects the nation. During the last several decades, we have seen repeated incidents of violence against persons of color, accompanied by expressions of hatred that encourage cruelty and bloodshed.

As a communion of interracial and diverse Christian churches and ministry centers, the International Council of Community Churches, reaffirms its commitment to racial justice; to reconciliation, and to Christian unity. These commitments cannot be achieved without individual and societal changes that move our communities away from violence and brutality. We strive to discover new paths of understanding and compassion to that end.

Therefore, we applaud and encourage religious and civic leaders worldwide who are working to move their communities beyond acts of racial injustice that have afflicted them and toward “the beloved community” envisioned by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us all continue ”overcoming evil with good” (Romans 12:1).

We decry the rhetoric and action of those who continue to seek division and discord and who advocate an evil vision of apartheid-like separation of God’s children. We firmly oppose acts of racial injustice, regardless of the source, and affirm God’s unifying shalom.

We pray and pledge ourselves to work for a society in which no one is denied their God-given rights, in which all individuals are given the opportunity to achieve their full human potential.

We pray for God’s guidance and wisdom in our quest for racial justice and equity.

Done this 15th day of October 2021.

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The International Council of Community Churches gathered in Annual Conference July, 2017

            The 21^st century is a time when individuals’ rights to practice freedom of religion are more and more consciously and intentionally honored.  It also is a time when the rights of individuals who desire to visit the United States too attend conventions, conferences, and meetings because of their genuine belief in Jesus Christ should be honored.  Yet, the United States Government firmly denies these individuals the right to travel to the United States; therefore, denying them the opportunity to participate in authentic Christian worship hosted by Christian communions to which they belong.

            Such has been the practice of the United States Government, particularly in the case of the International Council of Community Churches (ICCC), by denying 16 representatives from the Ivory Coast, West Africa who are members of ICCC to attend its 67^th Annual conference held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, July 17-20, 2017.  All 16 requests for visas were well-documented and supported; yet, not one was approved.

            As a fellowship of Christian churches and ministry centers, the International Council of Community Churches stands for justice, reconciliation, and Christian unity.  We, therefore, call upon the United States Government and those entrusted by the Government with the responsibility of administering laws related to the issuance of visas to:

We pray for God’s guidance and wisdom in seeking a speedy resolution to this issue.

The International Council of Community Churches gathered in Annual Conference July, 2016

We weep with the families of those slain by armed violence, most recently in San Bernardino, California; Orlando, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Falcon Heights, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; in communities in France, Nigeria; Pakistan; and in so many other locations around the globe. 

We give witness to the proclamation of scripture that all human being are children of God, regardless of their background or present circumstance; and that all God’s children are loved by God. 

As an interracial communion of reconciliation, we call upon everyone to cease responding to evil with evil.  Enough is enough and too much, for every human life is sacred. 

The escalation of violence that results from easy access to military style armaments must cease. 

As Christ reconciles the world to God, we must reconcile ourselves across the artificial barriers of race, religion, ethnicity, and gender identities (Lev. 19:18; Lev. 19:34; Matt 5:21-24). 

Let peace prevail. 

Adopted by the 66^th Annual Conference of the International Council of Community Churches, July 2016.

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The International Council of Community Churches gathered in Annual Conference July, 2015

One hundred fifty years after the American Civil War ended and slavery was abolished by the thirteenth amendment to the United States Constitution, the stain of racism still infects the nation. During the last year we have seen repeated incidents of violence against persons of color, accompanied by expressions of hatred that encourage cruelty and bloodshed.
To view the entire resolution, set July, 16, 2015, click here.

The churches and ministry centers of the International Council of Community Churches decry the inter-religious, inter-ethnic and inter-tribal violence that afflicts so many nations of the world.
To view the entire resolution, set July, 16, 2015, click here.