National Council of Churches Head Winkler Named to Americans United Board of Trustees

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today announced the appointment of Jim Winkler, president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches (NCC), to AU’s Board of Trustees.

Winkler has served as head of the NCC since 2013. The group represents 38 member communions and over 40 million individuals from Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical and other faith traditions.

“We are excited to have Jim Winkler join our Board of Trustees,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “Jim brings a passion for church-state separation and a deep commitment to protecting the religious freedom of all Americans. In addition, he brings a vast network of faith contacts and a broad knowledge of nonprofit governance. He’ll be a phenomenal addition to our team.”

“These are challenging times for the separation of church and state,” Winkler said. “Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, the church should not be the master of the state nor should it be the servant of the state. Rather, the faith community has a prophetic role to play in regard to the state, and Americans United helps keep us on point, on task and honest as we speak truth to the state. I’m looking forward to helping to ensure the continued vitality and health of this critical organization.”

Prior to joining the NCC, Winkler served as General Secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

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