Contact: Peggy Nienaber, 202-546-8329 ext 104, 202-236-0953 mobile; Patty Bills, 202-546-8329 ext 101, 202-734-8732 mobile; both with National Clergy Council 

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- The National Clergy Council will convene an emergency meeting of its executive committee today, March 26, at 2:00 PM, to discuss a directive from President Obama for religious organizations to provide certain health insurance products to their employees, even if those products violate Christian moral, ethical, and doctrinal teaching. After discussing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the committee will issue recommendations to religious organizations for resisting the encroachment of government on the prerogatives of the church and church-related institutions.

Event Details

When: Monday March 26, 2:00 p.m.

Who: National Clergy Council Executive Committee

What: Emergency meeting on resisting government insurance mandates

Where: Conference room of American Center for Law and Justice, 201 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002 (corner of Maryland and 2nd St., NE, opposite east facade of Supreme Court)

Participants: (Names marked with double asterisks ** will attend oral arguments at the Court on Monday, March 26.)

Convener: The Reverend Rob Schenck, President, National Clergy Council, and Chairman, Committee on Church and Society for the Evangelical Church Alliance**

The Reverend Dr. Kenneth J. Barney, Senior Pastor, The New Antioch Baptist Church, Randallstown MD, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Dr. William Allen Church, Pastor, Manassas Reformed Presbyterian Church, Manassas, VA, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Dr. Myke Crowder, Senior Pastor, Layton Christian Life Center, Layton, Utah, and National Clergy Council executive member**

Mr.  Brad Dobeck, Esq, attorney (advisor)

The Reverend Dr. Gary Dull, Senior Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Altoona, PA, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Phil Fulton, Pastor, Union Hill Church, Peebles, OH, National Clergy Council executive member

Dr. Day Gardner, President, National Black Pro-Life Union, Washington, DC, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Dr. David Hernquist, Senior Pastor, Van Nest Assembly of God, Bronx, NY, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Dr. Kenneth Johnson, Pastor, Seaman Methodist Church, Seaman, OH, National Clergy Council executive member

Mrs. Peggy Nienaber, Chief of Program, Faith and Action in the Nation's Capital, Washington, DC, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Patrick J. Mahoney, Presbyterian minister, National Director, Christian Defense Coalition, Washington, DC (advisor)

The Reverend Mark Morrow, Senior Pastor, Crosswalk Community Church, Williamsburg, VA (advisor)

The Reverend Steve Nickel, Senior Pastor, Fox Valley Christian Fellowship, Kimberly, WI, National Clergy Council executive member

The Reverend Dr. Johnny Wade Sloan, Senior Pastor, Hamilton Christian Center, Hamilton, OH, National Clergy Council executive member

Fr. Paul Schenck, D.D., Roman Catholic Priest, Executive Director, National Pro-Life Center, Washington, DC, National Clergy Council executive member**

Mr. Jordan Sekulow, attorney, Executive Director, American Center for Law and Justice, Washington, DC (special guest)**

The Reverend Dr. Robert H. Turill, Pastor, Trinity Bible Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA, and president-elect, the Evangelical Church Alliance

The Very Reverend Alexander Webster Ph.D., Pastor, Christ our Savior Orthodox Church, Stafford, VA, ethicist, retired military chaplain

Fr. Denis G. Wilde, Ph.D., Roman Catholic priest, Associate Director, Priests for Life, Staten Island, NY (advisor)

Media availability 1:00 - 2:00 PM (individual interviews), 3:00 - 4:00 PM (observe conference meeting-no Q&A)

News Conference in front of U.S. Supreme Court 4:00 PM (Q&A).

A document entitled "The Grave Concerns of the Churches" will be hand-delivered to the White House immediately following the News Conference.

A "Declaration to Pastors" will be published following the emergency session.

For interviews, program details, etc, contact Peggy Nienaber, 202-546-8329 ext 104 or mobile 202-236-0953, or Patty Bills, 202-546-8329, ext 101 or mobile 202-734-8732.