Our Vision
The vision of the West Virginia Council of Churches is to renew, strengthen, and expand our covenant together.
Our Mission
The West Virginia Council of Churches makes more visible the unity of Christ’s church, provides a Christian witness on public issues, and engages in cooperative mission and service for all West Virginians.
Our History
Preparing for our 142nd Anniversary Celebration in 2023, the West Virginia Council of Churches is one of the oldest institutions in the state of West Virginia. We can trace our origins to 1880 and our roots to the 1820s. In 1880, the West Virginia Sunday School Association was legally organized. This offshoot of the International Sunday School Association marks our historic beginning. In the time between 1880 and the present, the work of a few volunteers has blossomed into a common Christian mission. The West Virginia Council of Churches currently includes 14 denominations in the state, whose membership rolls approach 300,000. Church Women United has long been a participating partner. Respecting the traditions of each denomination – while uniting to speak with one voice and to act with united hands – we carry the message of Christ’s church into the public arena. Over the years, the West Virginia Council of Churches has been active in areas of social justice, health and economic issues, legislative issues and disaster response. For many years, our offices were located in the headquarters of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, but in 2001 we moved into our own quarters, a lovely red brick house on Charleston’s East End, a gift of a generous donor. You can find us today at 2207 Washington Street, East, two and one-half blocks east of West Virginia’s magnificent gold-domed Capitol.