Church World Service (CWS) is the relief, development and refugee assistance ministry of the thirty-five Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations of the National Council of Churches. Working in partnership with indigenous organizations around the world, CWS helps to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice. It was founded in 1946.

Within the United States, the Church World Service assists communities in responding to disasters; resettles refugees; promotes national and international policies it sees as fair; provides educational resources; and offers opportunities to join a people-to-people network of local and global caring through participation in various projects including CROP Hunger Walks, Blankets+, and the CWS Kits program.

The largest fund-raising events for Church World Service are CROP Hunger Walks. The first CROP Hunger Walk was in the 1960s. Now more than 2,000 communities across the U.S. join in CROP Hunger Walks each year. One thing that is unique about CROP Hunger Walks is that Church World Service doesn't receive all of the money raised. Up to 25% of the money donated is given to local hunger fighting agencies. And, each person who sponsors a walker can specify whether Church World Service or another global hunger-fighting agency will receive the other 75% of their donation.

Church World Service has an A rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and was named one of the Top 100 Highly Rated Charities by GiveSpot.com. It currently has a 2-star rating from Charity Navigator, based in part on fluctuations in income related to global emergencies.

August 26, 2009 letter with 300+ Groups Ask Senate for Stronger Climate Bill, included the CWS.

Participating churches and organizations

• African Methodist Episcopal Church
• African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
• Alliance of Baptists
• American Baptist Churches USA
• Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (including Diocese of California)
• Christian Church
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• Church of the Brethren
• Coptic Orthodox Church in North America
• 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
• National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.
• National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
• National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
• Orthodox Church in America
• Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A.
• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friend
• Polish National Catholic Church of America
• Presbyterian Church
• Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
• Reformed Church in America
• Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada
• The Swedenborgian Church
• Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
• United Church of Christ
• The United Methodist Church

List of Local Resettlement Affiliates

• Lutheran Social Ministry of the Southwest
• Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
• Opening Doors, Inc. Center for New Americans
• Ecumenical Refugee Services
• Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services
• Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta
• Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Services
• Exodus Refugee Immigration
• Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc.
• Refugee Immigration Ministry
• Programs Assisting Refugee Acculturation
• Lutheran Refugee Services
• Heartland Refugee Resettlement, Inc.
• Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Program
• Journey's End Refugee Services
• Catholic Family Center, Refugee Resettlement Program
• Interfaith Works of Central New York, Inc.
• Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas
• Community Refugee and Immigration Services
• Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees
• Bridge Refugee Services
• Refugee Services of Texas
• Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston
• Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program
• Interchurch Refugee Ministries

See also

• VOLAG

External links

• http://www.churchworldservice.org/
• http://www.ncccusa.org/
• http://www.cropwalk.org/