Updated 12:47 pm.EST, Sun November 22, 2009

Society|Tue, Sep. 23 2008 01:42 PM EDT

Evangelicals Make Case for Bolder Poverty Response

By Michelle A. Vu|Christian Post Reporter

“And so we ask you as sisters and brothers, citizens of the wealthiest most powerful nation on earth, to publicly challenge your candidates and political leaders – now and after the elections are over – to lead the world in the struggle to cut global poverty in half by 2015,” they pleaded.

“If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?”

The global South letter was released just ahead of the U.N. General Assembly’s meeting on Thursday to review progress on the MDGs.

During the teleconference, evangelical leaders from the United States and the global South emphasized that church advocacy is even more critical now as the U.S. and the world struggle to overcome the financial crisis. Amid this difficult time, they noted, it is easy for governments to forget about the world’s poor.

“The Church in the United States has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches,” the global South letter stated. “We urge you to remember that the Hope to which you were called as a messenger demands that you seek first the Kingdom of God and God's justice.”

Others that participated in the teleconference included the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals; the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Dr. Jo Anne Lyons, founder of World Hope International and the first female General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church; and Lawrence Temfwe, national facilitator of Micah Challenge Zambia.

The teleconference was organized by Micah Challenge, which was created by the World Evangelical Alliance.

Micah Challenge is a campaign that seeks to make advocacy for the poor part of church mission.

Currently, organizers are gathering signatures from the public and from evangelical leaders for a letter that will be sent to both major presidential candidates, urging them to commit to a bolder strategy to fight global poverty. The slated date for the delivery of the letter to the candidates is Oct. 22.

On the Web: http://www.micahchallenge.us

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  • Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:45 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

    When has government ever done anything for the global poor that actually got to those poor? Sending money or goods to leaders of those countries has never reached the poor. Only through activism of church groups will there be a difference. We must teach them to care for themselves and not rely on their governments.However with the way our government is structuring our financial system, there will be little in the way of donations to finance expeditions. Do we believe donations come from the lowest level taxpayers in the US in enough quantity to support any efforts in the world?

  • Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:09 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 1

    Where I find myself confused is how the "church" can call for greater government response to the problems of poverty while the "Church", an entity that has never been subject to taxation and has amassed a vast fortune, sits back and hoards its wealth. I would think that in the spirit of christian charity that the Pope would dip into the Church's coffers and pull out some cash for the needy. Oh yeah, that cash has to go towards maintaining the gold covered Vatican...

  • Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:52 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

    Giving money to leftist dictators does not help the poor, it hurts them. These "evangelical leaders" should be ashamed to show their face in public!

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