NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN THE U.S.A.

also called National Council Of Churches, an agency of Protestant, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox denominations that was formed in 1950 in the United States by the merger of 12 national interdenominational agencies. The National Council of Churches is the largest ecumenical body in the United States, with a membership of about 40 million in the late 20th century. Its international counterpart is the World Council of Churches. The National Council's purpose is to provide an organization through which member churches can express their common faith and cooperate with one another on various programs. The council's headquarters are in New York City. The National Council of Churches has initiated many interchurch activities, including a revision of the English Bible; the publication of religious education, evangelism, and family-life materials; and the promotion of religious and moral values in broadcasting. The council also encourages collaboration with overseas churches in the modern use of the mass media; it fights against illiteracy and enlists local churches to fight against hunger through better agriculture, nutrition, and family planning. In the late 20th century, the council's membership was made up of 32 Protestant and Eastern Orthodox churches as full members, with more than 40 other church bodies, including conservative Protestants and Roman Catholics, participating in its programs.