About Us

We transform the world by reflecting Christ.

Who We Are

With roots dating back to 1934, In Word and Witness is a national Catholic membership organization that dedicates itself to enhancing the ministries of evangelization and catechesis in an everchanging world through accompaniment, innovation, prayer, and creativity. As an inclusive community of faith, we welcome all those who identify with our mission to transform the world by reflecting Christ. Our work is guided by eight core values which are foundational to our projects, resources, and initiatives. Prior to being In Word and Witness, our organization has maintained two historical names, National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and National Conference for Diocesan Directors. With each restructure, this membership organization has expanded its mission and membership categories, reflecting the growing ministries of evangelization and catechesis in the current dynamic landscape.

We invite you to be part of our community of changemakers!

Become A Member

Faith-Filled and Value-Driven

With you, we want to reflect Christ's love to our community and beyond using our values of inclusion, solidarity, stewardship, and more.

Explore Our Core Values

What We Do

In Word and Witness is a national Catholic community dedicated to evangelization and catechesis with a mission to transform the world by reflecting Christ. Members of this inclusive community contribute to the work of the organization in the following ways:

As an inclusive community, we accompany all those dedicated to the work of evangelization and catechesis by providing opportunities for networking, resource sharing, and community.

Our commitment to the development and formation of ministers is evident in the resources, events, and projects offered by the organization. These enriching opportunities align with our mission and core values and directly respond to the current needs and priorities of our community.

We commit to visioning for the future by drawing upon the wisdom, charisms, and lived experience of our members. This perspective informs our communal response to the everchanging ministerial landscape and offers a national perspective to others that share in our mission.

Embracing the value of being spirit-led, we provide opportunities for prayer, reflection, and discernment through a variety of liturgical experiences. These opportunities are enriched through ritual, song, and movement.

 

Check Out Our Partners

Partners share their gifts, resources, and charisms with our community in an intentional way. Their creativity and generosity provide additional opportunities for our members.

Partners

See What's New

Meet Our New Board Members

Victoria Radleigh Smith

We invite you to congratulate the newest members appointed to the In Word and Witness Board of Directors! These individuals were selected by an ad hoc committee after careful review of their applications, interviews, and…

Gather The Graces: Partnered in Mission

Victoria Radleigh Smith

Let’s extend the graces of our membership meeting and gather for 45 minutes of prayer and discernment. Now that time has passed since we last met, what is God calling us to? Together, we will…

Innovation and the Potential to Transform the World

Libby Mahowald

A Message from the Board Earlier this month I watched a panel discussion from Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture, The Church Innovative: How and Why the Catholic Church Fosters Change, about change and the Church,…