- Martin Luther King Jr
"A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. A revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast between poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists in the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America only to take profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: 'This is not just.'"
Source: The Trumpet of Conscience
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U.S. and British Religious Leaders Gather for Ecumenical Forum on G8 Summit
Representing nearly 62 million people of faith, 35 religious leaders gather in London this week to hold G8 world leaders morally accountable.
Washington DC, (June 27, 2005) - In an historic gesture of unity, a distinguished and diverse delegation of U.S. religious leaders depart today for a transatlantic religious leaders' Forum on the upcoming G8 Summit. Over 35 British and American leaders of churches and faith-based organizations will gather this week in London for an ecumenical Forum to discuss, pray, and reflect on the tragedy of global poverty. "The massive reality of global hunger and poverty has revealed our own spiritual poverty and is bringing us together," says the London Forum's co-convener, Rev. Jim Wallis, who is executive director of Sojourners. "We believe God is active on the issue of poverty."
The American and British delegation includes leaders from the Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Mainline Protestant, and Evangelical faith traditions. More than 62 million people of faith will be represented at the first London Forum of Religious Leaders on the G8 Summit. Today's press conference in Washington, D.C., launches three days of activities, both in Washington and London.
The three-day London Forum will include a meeting with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, MP, to discuss the political implications of alleviating global poverty and will culminate in a forum at Lambeth Palace hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Rowan Williams. A press event will follow the Forum at Lambeth Palace, where British and American leaders will meet for several hours.
Today's press conference at the National Press Club also highlights the unity of the U.S. delegation, which seeks to join its moral persuasion with their British counterparts. Before departing on flights this evening to London, the delegation will meet with G8 negotiators for the Bush Administration, perhaps Ambassador Faryar Shirzad, the G8 Sherpa. Below are the highlights of the historic Religious Leaders London Forum.
(The American delegates attending the London Forum are available for interviews for the duration of the London Forum, or through Wednesday, July 29th. Please contact: Jack Pannell, 202/285-1899 or via email at jpannell@sojo.net)
Monday, July 27th (Washington, D. C.)
Press Conference with U.S. Delegation, National Press Club ( 1 p.m. EDT)
(transcript available)
U.S. Delegation meets with Ambassador Shirzad at the White House
U.S. Delegation departs to London from Washington Dulles International Airport
Tuesday, July 28th (London, England)
Reception for U.S. and British Delegation. Hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Ecumenical Worship Service at St. John's Church, London (Sermon by Rev. Jim Wallis)
Wednesday, July 29th (London, England)
U.S. and U.K. Delegations meet with Chancellor Gordon Brown
U.S. and U.K. Delegations hold London Forum at Lambeth Palace with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams as the host. Press Conference to follow.
More than 1.2 billion people—more than one in five on Earth—currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day. The G8 leaders recently agreed to forgive 100 percent of the $40 billion the 18 poorest countries on earth owe to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and African Development Bank. While those attending the London Forum offer different perspectives on the paths to take in ending global poverty, they have come together in seeing that poverty is the most compelling moral issue that the G8 leaders should address.
"2005 is a year of decision that will affect the lives of hungry and poor people for decades to come," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. "Americans of all theological and political stripes have come together to call on President Bush and other world leaders to act now to overcome hunger, extreme poverty, and disease. Doesn't our faith require us to make this plea for 'the least of these' among us?"
Statements from the American religious leaders follow the list of American and British delegates below.
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American Delegates
Rev. Jim Wallis, Executive Director of Sojourners and Convener of the London Forum of Religious Leaders on the G8 Summit; Rev. David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World and Bread for the World Institute; Richard E. Stearns, President, World Vision United States; Rev. Richard Cizik, Vice President for Governmental Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals; Mr. Robert William Davis, Director of the Mennonite Central Committee; Commissioner William Francis, International Secretary of the Salvation Army; Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America; Mark Lancaster, Director, Presbyterian Hunger Program; Dr. Glenn R. Palmberg, President, Evangelical Covenant Church; Bishop Peter Rogness, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rev. Ron Sider, President and Founder, Evangelicals for Social Action; Father Andrew Small, OMI
Policy Advisor, International Economic Development, US Conference of Catholic Bishops; Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Coordinator, World Evangelical Alliance; Bishop Peter Weaver, President, United Methodist Church Council of Bishops.
STATEMENTS BY AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONCERNING LONDON FORUM ON THE G8 SUMMIT
Rev. David Beckman, President, Bread for the World
Like the prophet Isaiah with a hot ember to my lips, I am convicted to share the message: "We can end hunger and extreme poverty in our time." We have the technology and the know-how to fight poverty, disease, and hunger and God is calling us to use it. So, as people of faith, we are asking President Bush and the other G8 Summit leaders to embrace a comprehensive plan of debt relief, development assistance, and fair trade, especially for Africa. We can dramatically reduce suffering caused by hunger and poverty, and as Christians, as humans, we must.
Rev. Rich Cizik, Vice President of Government Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals, which includes 45,000 churches representing 30 million evangelicals, unanimously adopted in October 2004 a landmark document titled For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility, which speaks to the issue of global hunger, trade, and aid issues. It has been signed by over 100 evangelical leaders of varying political persuasion, and signifies the strongest, united reflection of political opinion on these topics by our movement to ever be assembled.
It states that "We believe that care for the vulnerable should extend beyond our national borders. American foreign policy and trade policies often have an impact on the poor. We should try to persuade our leaders to change patterns of trade that harm the poor and to make the reduction of global poverty a central concern of American foreign policy. We must support policies that encourage honesty in government, correct unfair socioeconomic structures, generously support effective programs that empower the poor, and foster economic development and prosperity. Christians should also encourage continued government support of international aid agencies, including those that are faith-based.
Especially in the developing world, extreme poverty, lack of health care, the spread of HIV/AIDS, inadequate nutrition, unjust and unstable economies, slavery and sexual trafficking, the use of rape as a tool of terror and oppression, civil war, and government cronyism and graft create the conditions in which large populations become vulnerable. We support Christian agencies and American foreign policy that effectively correct these political problems and promote just, democratic structures.
Dr. Glenn R. Palmberg, President, The Evangelical Covenant Church
The Evangelical Covenant Church is deeply committed to fighting poverty around the world because we must be. Our God demands it. Throughout the Bible, the mandate is clear. God's people must be about God's work, and God cares for the poor. This is not only a "religious" duty, however. It is a human responsibility. We in the developed world must come together, out of our great resources, to fight poverty and its effects on many millions of people. I hope and pray that the leaders gathered for the G8 summit will join together in shared vision and shared resolve to take significant actions against poverty that will make this world healthier and more stable for us all.
Bishop Peter Rogness, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
I'm pleased to be here on behalf of the 5 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and our Presiding Bishop, Mark Hanson.
Bishop Hanson and others throughout our church have consistently voiced our support for the Millennium Development Goals. Our church is promoting the ONE campaign, and in addition to $16 million raised annually for World Hunger, we launched in 2001 the Stand With Africa campaign to join the effort to combat poverty and HIV/AIDS on that continent. Our Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs consistently represents this position on a national level. Lutherans are anxious to join many other faith communities in this work.
Last year in the state where I serve, more than 30 heads of religious judicatories signed a statement of shared principles for work on overcoming poverty. This grew out of our recognition that in all the faith traditions we represented—Christian, Jew, Hindu, Muslim—we found a remarkable convergence around the principle in each tradition that the barometer of people's faithfulness was care for the poor and the outcast. The Millennium Development Goals give our government an opportunity to make real this broad commitment.
Mr. Rich Stearns, President, World Vision United States
As a Christian organization serving the poor and victims of injustice for 55 years, World Vision is dedicated to helping children reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty in nearly 100 countries.
We live in a world where the gulf between the rich and the poor is widening at an alarming rate. I have visited more than 30 countries, visiting communities where more than 25% of the children die before their 5th birthday from easily treatable maladies such as diarrhea and respiratory infections. Worldwide almost 30,000 children die daily from such neglect. They die only because the world is looking the other way.
The American people after World War II demonstrated the greatness of our values in helping Europe rebuild through the Marshall Plan. In the 1960s Americans showed the power of our vision by sending men to the moon. We now stand at a unique moment in time when the American people can show the world the compassion undergirding our belief that "all men are created equal" by making a bold commitment to eliminate extreme poverty in this generation. I call on President Bush to demonstrate the compassion of the American people to the world by committing American money, know-how, and technology to achieving this goal at the G8 summit.
Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Coordinator, World Evangelical Alliance
The World Evangelical Alliance is a global network of 123 nations that each have formed an evangelical church alliance. Nearly 3,000,000 local churches and 380 million Christians identify with these alliances.
In response to worldwide poverty, in partnership with the Micah Network, WEA launched the Micah Challenge. This global campaign is designed to raise a prophetic and powerful voice with the poor; to deepen Christian engagement with the poor; and to call on leaders of rich and poor nations to keep their promise to halve absolute global poverty by 2015! Launched in New York in October 2004, Micah Challenge is a vibrant and rapidly growing movement of Christians, particularly evangelical Christians. National Micah Challenge campaigns are fully operational in 9 countries, while a further 16 are in formation.
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About Sojourners: Founded in 1971 as a faith-based organization, Sojourners provides an alternative perspective on faith, politics, and culture through its award-winning monthly magazine, e-mail services, Web site, media commentaries, and public events. Ecumenical and progressive, Sojourners lifts up the biblical connection between social justice and spiritual renewal and nurtures community by bringing together people from the various traditions and streams of the church. Sojourners also hosts an annual program of voluntary service now in its 21st year.
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