War, natural disasters and humanity’s four-footed friends. These topics are no strangers to television viewers, but programming presented by the National Council of Churches (NCC) adds many new dimensions to familiar themes.

•“The Conscientious Objector,” presented by the NCC and produced by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, will be on many NBC stations beginning June 13.

The program is the true story of Army medic Desmond T. Doss, who overcame ridicule for his refusal to carry a weapon, then distinguished himself on the battle fields of the Pacific during World War II.

In one of the battles for Okinawa, the unarmed and unprotected Doss saved the lives of 75 wounded men and his commanding officer, dragging them one at a time to a cliff where he lowered each of them by rope to the camp below.

Some of the GIs he saved, including his captain, were those who had mistreated him. His unselfishness and concern for their lives won him the respect of the Army and the nation, which awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor.

More information is available at www.desmonddoss.com.

•“The Ministry of Animals,” produced in cooperation with the NCC, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Islamic Society of North America, the Union of Reform Judaism and the New York Board of Rabbis, will be on CBS beginning June 13.

Among the topics explored are dogs that the clergy uses as a means of pastoral care. Also known as “ministry dogs,” these assistance dogs are formally trained at the National Education for Assistance Dog Services’ Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans in Princeton, Mass. Founded in 1976, this nonprofit organization trains service dogs for the deaf and disabled as well as for animal-assisted therapy.

The program talks with the Rev. Debbie Blanchard, pastor of First Baptist Church in Littleton, Mass., who agreed to have Mosby, a NEADS-trained dog, as part of her church community. She encourages churches to explore ways to use animals in ministry because she’s found that dogs are helpful to people during times of tragedy, counseling or sorrow.

Also featured are the monks of New Skete, an Eastern Orthodox monastic community in Cambridge, N.Y. Viewers will meet Brother Stavros and Brother John, two monks who breed and train German shepherds in order to support their order.

“Because we’re living a life here at the monastery that is essentially dedicated to seeking God and exploring the deepest mysteries in life, one of the things that’s been most surprising and wonderful has been that the dogs have played an important impact on our spiritual lives in ways that we never could have imagined,” said Brother Christopher, the order’s chief dog trainer.

The program also visits Harvard Divinity School professor Kimberley Patton, who explains the roles animals have played within the various world religions.

Finally, viewers will witness part of the annual Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. People bring pets of all sizes and types to the church, including birds and circus animals, to reflect a union of the human and the other-than-human lives within the natural universe.

•“Coming Home: Hurricane Katrina Five Years Later,” presented by the NCC and produced by the Presbyterian Church (USA), will be on many NBC stations beginning Sept. 12.

Thousands of families were left homeless or displaced after Hurricane Katrina. Five years later, some of these families are still trying to return home. The most destructive hurricane in U.S. history inspired a movement that brought thousands of volunteers from all over the world to work alongside families and communities trying to return home.

The documentary gives insight into the relationships between volunteers and hurricane survivors.

DVDs are available from (800) 524-2612.

This story is provided by Worldwide Faith News.