About
Mobilizing California’s prophetic spiritual activists for justice since 1913!
Mission
The mission of the California Council of Churches (CCC) is to be a prophetic witness to the Gospel by educating faith communities to pursue justice, equity and fairness in the treatment of all people, in particular those most vulnerable in our society.
Organization’s Vision
California Council of Churches brings a new and energizing way of linking moral and ethical views to what’s happening in all critical issues of social justice. People seeking the “Common Good” will find us a progressive leader in all of the burning issues of our day.
Description
Today the mainstream and progressive spiritual communities of faith are at a crossroads. We are hungry for a world where our values are made manifest in justice, kindness, and peace. We work diligently to care for those in need, to bind up our nation’s wounds, to embrace our fellow humans with compassion, understanding, and respect. And yet the words of faith that are heard loudly in our land are too often those that are angry, limiting, and mean. They do not reflect who we really are as people of belief, people who seek a better, more humane world.Since 1913 the California Council of Churches (CCC) and California Church IMPACT (CCI) have labored to be present for you, helping to create a world that cares for all of its citizens regardless of economic class, ages, gender, race and ethnicity, religious belief, or sexual orientation.
Who We Are
- We are the voice of our member denominations and judicatories in the state Capitol, representing the authentic Christian moral values of compassion, tolerance, peace and justice in the California legislative process. We represent 52 judicatories in 21 mainline Protestant and Orthodox denominations.
- We are the oldest and largest progressive faith-based public policy organization in California.
- We work with member churches to plan events and legislative visits, and provide training for your justice-based priorities both in Sacramento and in legislative districts.
- We produce highly-acclaimed faith-based ballot guides on the statewide Initiatives for each election which help people of faith discuss the issues from a biblical perspective.
- We are an urgent action response network. As significant issues arise in the state legislature relating to the needs of poor people, the marginalized and the oppressed, we are committed to mobilize the Christian community in an orchestrated response of letter-writing, E-mailing, calling and making visits to legislators, urging our them to craft policies which protect the most needy and vulnerable in our state.
- We routinely work with the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Unitarian Universalist and other religious communities to present a genuine interfaith voice in the state Capitol.
- We provide speakers for judicatory gatherings and committees, conduct advocacy training events in your churches, and provide training, study guidesm and resources on a variety of social justice issues important to a faithful witness to the Gospel.
How You Can Get Involved
- Join our activist list to receive updates on current social justice issues, actions, and legislation. Help us build our activist base by inviting others with a passion for social justice and equality to join as well. Click here
- Share our alerts, ballot proposition recommendations, study guides, and other resources
- Support our work at churchimpact.org/donate.html and calchurches.org/support-our-work.html
We would like to learn more about your priorities, passions, and needs. We believe that the California Council of Churches/IMPACT can be a powerful partner with you in revitalizing congregations and ministries that can truly makes a difference.
Members of the California Council of Churches include 52 California judicatories in 21 mainline Protestant and Orthodox denominations, which collectively have about 5 million members in 6,000 congregations throughout the state of California.
Members include:
American Baptist Churches
African Methodist Episcopal Church
* Fifth Episcopal District
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Armenian Church of America
* Western Diocese of the Armenian Church
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
* Ninth Episcopal District
Church of the Brethren
* Pacific Southwest District
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
* Northern California-Nevada Region
* Pacific Southwest Region
Community of Christ
The Episcopal Church
* Episcopal Diocese of California
* Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real
* Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
* Episcopal Diocese of Northern California
* Episcopal Diocese of San Diego
* Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin
Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
* Pacifica Synod
* Sierra Pacific Synod
* Southwest California Synod
Greek Orthodox Church
* Orthodox Diocese of San Francisco
Independent Catholic Churches International
Moravian Church
National Baptist Convention
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
* Presbytery of Los Ranchos
* Presbytery of the Pacific
* Presbytery of the Redwoods
* Presbytery of Riverside
* Presbytery of Sacramento
* Presbytery of San Diego
* Presbytery of San Fernando
* Presbytery of San Francisco
* Presbytery of San Gabriel
* Presbytery of San Joaquin
* Presbytery of San Jose
* Presbytery of Santa Barbara
* Presbytery of Stockton
* Sierra Mission Partnership
* Synod of the Pacific
* Synod of Southern California & Hawaii
Reformed Church in America
Swedenborgian Church
United Church of Christ
* Northern California Nevada Conference
* Southern California Nevada Conference
United Methodist Church
* California-Nevada Conference
* California-Pacific Annual Conference
Metropolitan Community Churches
Church Women United
Orthodox Clergy Council