The National Council of Churches and the War on Poverty notes

The National Council of Churches and the War on Poverty

Introduction

Sergeant Shriver emphasized the necessity of the church's moral guidance in the war on poverty, viewing it as a battle for the nation's soul. The National Council of Churches (NCC) and its members shared this perspective, considering the war on poverty as a moral and spiritual imperative. They actively participated in this war through their departments, agencies, and collaborative efforts with Catholic and Jewish religious institutions, despite internal discussions about the best ways to implement their vision.

The NCC's History and Stance

Formation and Early Goals

The NCC was formed in 1908 as the Federal Council of Churches (FCC) through the unification of 32 Protestant denominations. The FCC aimed to address the challenges of modern industrial society and promote the social gospel, which advocated for social justice issues.

Initial Focus on Race

In the late 1940s, the FCC began addressing racial issues by submitting amicus briefs to the Supreme Court in support of desegregation cases. They also established a Department of Racial and Cultural Relations, which initially adopted a gradual approach to resolving racial problems.

Transition to the NCC and Active Engagement

The FCC was renamed the NCC in 1950. In 1952, the NCC issued a statement supporting desegregated churches, though without active assistance. The NCC became more actively involved in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, playing a significant role in planning the 1963 Conference on Religion and Race. They also created a Commission on Religion and Race, which received strong support from NCC leadership. The NCC aimed to establish a clear stance for mainstream churches on racial issues, advocating for the political and economic rights of African Americans. NCC members actively participated in the March on Washington and other civil rights events.

Support for Voting Rights Legislation

In March 1965, church leaders met with President Lyndon Johnson to advocate for voting rights legislation. President Johnson invited NCC officials to his speech announcing the Voting Rights Act, signaling mainline religious support for the civil rights movement. Edwin Espy, the general secretary of the NCC, noted the alignment between the NCC's policies and the goals of the Great Society, including the fight against poverty.

NCC's Early Involvement in Addressing Poverty

Initial Proposal

Though the official war on poverty began in 1964, the NCC started addressing poverty in 1955. Shirley Green proposed a consultation on persistent poverty in America, stemming from an earlier consultation on land stewardship. Participants saw a link between race and poverty, suggesting the NCC address poverty's impact on American Indians, African Americans, and Spanish Americans.

Delayed Action

The NCC leadership took Green's proposal seriously, approving it in January 1956. However, the focus shifted to civil rights in the late 1950s and early 1960s, delaying the consultation on poverty.

Consultation on Poverty

In January 1962, Green's consultation on the churches and persistent pockets of poverty in the USA took place in Washington D.C. Discussions centered on defining poverty, identifying its causes and consequences, and determining programs to alleviate or eliminate it. The conference emphasized the importance of social action by churches, advocating for vigorous support of public policies and programs to address the root causes of poverty.

Influence of "The Other America"

The publication of Michael Harrington's The Other America in 1962 influenced NCC leadership. The NCC committed to supporting programs designed to tackle poverty before Johnson's declaration of a federal war on poverty.

Engagement with Juvenile Delinquency

Addressing the Issue

The NCC also addressed juvenile delinquency, which gained national attention in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The NCC began planning juvenile delinquency programs in local communities based on the opportunity theory of sociologists Lloyd Olin and Richard Cloward. This theory linked juvenile delinquency and poverty to societal structures that limited opportunities for social mobility, especially for minority youth.

Consultation on Youth Employment

The NCC demonstrated the influence of Olin and Cloward in its consultation on the church and youth employment, held in 1964. The NCC also started planning a film about poverty in America, drawing inspiration from the CBS news report, The Harvest of Shame, Harrington's The Other America, and its own poverty consultation.

NCC's Formal Engagement in the War on Poverty

Resolution and Action

On February 26, 1964, the NCC's general board approved a resolution to engage fully in the battle against poverty, deeming it ethically intolerable and morally reprehensible. The board directed all its units to prioritize developing programs to eliminate poverty. The NCC framed poverty as a moral evil, which religious institutions were well-equipped to address.

Institutional Action

The NCC formed a staff anti-poverty committee in March 1963, comprising representatives from 14 different council units. The committee discussed how NCC member churches could contribute to the war on poverty, focusing on job training, education, housing, and income maintenance programs. The committee met with Sergeant Shriver to discuss ways the NCC could participate in the war on poverty, emphasizing the role of local churches and congregations.

Publications and Coordination

Green initiated a process of study and discussion, which led to pamphlets urging churchgoers to support federal anti-poverty efforts. The staff Anti-Poverty Committee created the Anti-Poverty Bulletin to coordinate efforts and inform readers of developments in the National War on Poverty and OEO programs. The bulletin highlighted the Job Corps and Project Head Start, providing opportunities for church members to participate in these programs.

Local Church Involvement

The bulletin also featured stories of member churches' participation in the war on poverty, such as the Greater Newark Council of Churches' creation of the United Community Action Corporation and the Decatur Illinois Council of Churches' institution of a Head Start program.

Leadership and Migrant Ministry

Appointment of Shirley Green

In March 1965, Shirley Green was appointed as the coordinator of the NCC's anti-poverty program. The NCC supported the war on poverty through successful applications for OEO funds for its anti-poverty programs, particularly its migrant ministry.

Migrant Ministry's History and Expansion

The NCC's migrant ministry program had a long history, starting in 1908. By the 1960s, it was one of the most developed of the NCC anti-poverty efforts. The NCC saw the war on poverty as a way to expand its migrant ministry efforts, with programs in New Mexico, Arizona, and North Carolina receiving significant OEO grants.

Congressional Testimony and Moral Imperative

Support for Anti-Poverty Legislation

The NCC president, Ruben H. Mueller, testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor in support of anti-poverty legislation. Mueller emphasized that an essential element of Christianity was a deep concern for the poor and those without adequate resources. He highlighted the connection between poverty and race, viewing racial discrimination as a major cause of poverty. Mueller stated the NCC was ready to engage in the administration's battle against poverty, seeing it as a moral cause.

Collaboration with OEO

In October 1964, NCC leaders met with Sergeant Shriver and OEO staff to discuss the institution's role in the federal anti-poverty effort. Shriver sought the NCC's help with programs like the Job Corps, VISTA, and Head Start. The NCC held a special staff meeting, emphasizing the moral dimension of poverty and the need for a new social imagination. Staff members believed that local churches were well-suited to participate in community-based programs.

Commission on Religion and Race

The NCC's Commission on Religion and Race established a director of community action to connect churches to community action agencies. Economic justice was linked to race and civil rights, with the NCC and its members advocating for civil rights as early as the 1950s.

NCC's Theology

The NCC's theology viewed poverty as a moral issue, with the anti-poverty committee stating that the responsibility of church people was grounded in God's redemptive work. The church had a moral obligation to end poverty, and the war on poverty provided a means to achieve that goal.

Publications on Poverty

"The Christian Case Against Poverty"

The NCC published three books supporting the war on poverty: The Christian Case Against Poverty by Henry Clark, and One Fifth of a Nation and How Churches Fight Poverty, both by Elma Greenwood. Clark argued that property rights were subordinate to the common good, making both individual giving and government programs necessary. He asserted that poverty was a moral outrage, and Christians had a duty to fight it.

"One Fifth of a Nation"

Greenwood's One Fifth of a Nation linked the war on poverty with the civil rights movement, calling for the mobilization of churches to eliminate poverty. She explained the specifics of poverty in America and what churches could do, emphasizing community-level action and support for legislative proposals.

"How Churches Fight Poverty"

Greenwood's How Churches Fight Poverty studied religion-based anti-poverty projects across the United States, providing concrete examples of religious groups' engagement with the war on poverty.

Westminster Neighborhood Association

The work of the Westminster Neighborhood Association (WNA) in Watts exemplified the transformation of religious organizations' activism. Founded by the Presbyterian Church, the WNA shifted from a service provider to a community organization, with neighborhood block councils determining anti-poverty programs. The WNA demonstrated joint church-state funding and support of anti-poverty programs.

Unified Field Program

Goals and Responsibilities

The NCC's Staff Anti-Poverty Committee created a Unified Field Program in April 1965. The program aimed to sensitize churches to the realities of poverty, mobilize resources, and coordinate efforts. Responsibilities included raising awareness, sensitizing church people to their moral responsibility, encouraging the inclusion of the poor, and providing information on available resources. The program staffed from the Division of Christian Life and Mission, and local and state councils.

Opportunities for Participation

The committee outlined opportunities for local churches and members to participate in the war on poverty, such as recruiting Job Corps trainees and operating Head Start centers. The Lutheran church expressed an allegiance to the war on poverty, reflecting the commitment of their parent organizations.

Challenges and Opposition

Concerns about Community Action

Shirley Green voiced concerns about challenges to the war on poverty, particularly to community action programs. The US Conference of Mayors attacked community action for inciting conflict, and budget director Charles Schulz kept the OEO's budget low. The NCC, particularly Green, critiqued the OEO for falling short of its goal of maximum feasible participation of the poor.

Continued Support

Green and the Anti-Poverty Task Force publicly advocated for the expansion of the war on poverty, emphasizing community action and maximum feasible participation of the poor. They challenged congressional cuts to the OEO, arguing that the federal poverty program was a minimal effort.

Influences on Commitment

The NCC's commitment stemmed from the social gospel, the experiences of NCC leaders in civil rights efforts, and the belief that local churches were central locations for community anti-poverty efforts. The Unified Field Program staff emphasized the full inclusion of the poor in program development and implementation.

Ongoing Dedication

In 1967, Schultz highlighted the NCC's commitment to the War on Poverty. Also expressing concern over the government's lagging dedication to the programs of OEO. The NCC issued statements to support on the war on poverty and the need for NCC involvement in 1966.

Moral Imperative

The NCC argued that the abolition of poverty was a moral imperative. Once again highlighting that poverty in the midst of plenty was a moral issue. The board gave special attention and support to the inclusion of the poor in community action programs, arguing that the principle of the maximum feasible participation of the poor supported the Christian principle of the inherent worth of every human being.

Representatives of the Poor

The representatives of the poor asked the board to investigate the implementation of OEO programs. Specifically, the group charged that the OEO was giving funds to controlled existing institutions instead of to programs designed and implemented by poor people. The general board's statement reflected both its stated principles and the requests of the representatives of poor people

Concerns and Criticisms

Internal Concerns

While the NCC publicly supported the war on poverty, Shirley Greene expressed concerns about the organization's commitment. She noted that only 30 individuals were working part-time on the Unified Field Program and that the NCC had not hired any full-time employees dedicated to the War on Poverty. Green highlighted a concern for the future of the National Council's anti poverty program.

Financial Support and Task Force Issues

Others within the NCC expressed doubts regarding it's monetary contributions to it's own programs. Edward Carruthers asked that the Anti Poverty Task Force be renewed and more money allocated for the task force. Carruthers closely closed his memo by arguing, The Church should assume a basic responsibility objectives and fresh motivations in the effort to make certain that our nation does not fail in this solemn moral obligation.

Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM)

Carruthers also expressed concern about the developments in the child development group of Mississippi or the CDGM. The NCC was an early and important supporter of the CDGM. As a program that largely benefited African American children and families, the CDGM came under intense scrutiny from Mississippi's conservative segregationist Senator John Stennis. In 1966, '70 clergy from NCC denominations protested at the OEO offices and NCC leaders led a group calling itself the National Citizens Committee for the Child Development Group of Mississippi, which placed a full page ad in the New York Times castigating Shriver for his decision. NCC leadership proved crucial in convincing Shriver and the OEL to continue to fund the CDGM.

Resignation of Carruthers

Five days after Carruthers resignation, Espe responded writing that it was a blow to receive the letter. SB informed Carruthers that there was a good prospect for more backing and participation in the future. Espey further acknowledged Carruthers' critique.

Dissolution of the Anti-Poverty Task Force

By 1968, James McDaniel was serving as the acting chair of the task force. Caruthers was concerned that those with new responsibilities would be so deeply involved in other things that the references by the Dissolved Task Force will be dropped or largely ignored.

External Critiques

Significant divisions existed within the NCC about it's level of commitment to the War on poverty and how that commitment would be carried out.
In 1967, Lyle Schaller, a minister and church consultant, published The Church's War Poverty, he concluded that there was good reason to expect that the churches will carry their share of the load. According to Schaller, the organizations that had mostly and quickly and effectively mobilized in the anti poverty war were the state councils of churches that groups that had been previously involved in civil rights efforts, those that had been operation operating social welfare programs and the Catholic church and the United Presbyterian church.

Lack of Mobilization

Shaller also commented on what he saw as considerable resistance within the church on the war on poverty, noting that most churches had not joined in the mobilization.Shallow stated the vast majority of the individual congregations in America, most of the denominational agencies, and a large portion of the councils of churches had not committed themselves to the War on Poverty. Indeed, Shallow argued only a few religious institutions had dedicated a substantial proportion of their resources to this effort to eliminate poverty.

Interreligious Committee Against Poverty (ICAP)

While the NCC had dissolved its own Anti Poverty Task Force, it had increased its commitment to the participation in the Interreligious Committee Against Poverty or the ICAP. ICAP reflected a general move towards ecumenism and interreligious cooperation among mainline churches and synagogues in the 1950s and 1960s.