Poverty

Christian anti-poverty advocates had mixed feelings about this past week’s G-20 summit but unanimously called upon leaders of the world's largest national economies to act on the promises they have made regarding hunger, health, and development.

"We are thankful to President Obama for bringing to the G-20 issues that are important to poor people,” commented the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World.

Beckmann’s organization was “especially appreciative” of the G-20's push for a strong framework to promote sustainable, balanced economic growth and efforts to address climate change, which has a disproportionately negative effect on poor people. more >>

Ahead of the G-20 summit, faith leaders gathered in Pittsburgh Wednesday to urge world leaders to focus more on the poverty issue.

Noting that poverty is low on the summit's agenda, religious leaders said it was their responsibility to pressure leaders to address the “moral crisis.”

“As religious persons, we come at this with a conviction that at the core of human existence the creator of all has will that all should share in the bounty of his creation,” said Dr. William J. Shaw, former president of the National Baptist Convention, USA. more >>

Three Lutheran pastors recently completed a 13,000-mile U.S. tour to raise awareness and donations to fight world hunger.

Starting from Chicago – the location of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America headquarters – the three pastors on May 13 embarked on the Tour de Revs 2009. One hundred cities and 65 ELCA synods later, the Revs. Fred Soltow, Jr., David Twedt, and Ron Schlak arrived at the denomination’s Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis on Aug. 20.

“Our tour was not about reverends. But about revelation, revolution and revenue,” said Soltow at the Assembly on Thursday. more >>

The number of people going hungry every day has hit a historic high of 1 billion, or more precisely 1.02 billion, according to the U.N. World Food Program.

Millions of people who were on the brink of hunger have now been thrown into this category by the global economic crisis that resulted in lower incomes and job losses.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, about an additional 100 million people are in chronic hunger and poverty this year compared to last year. more >>

As international sanctions worsen the food crisis in North Korea, many of its Christian neighbors in the south are calling for unconditional humanitarian assistance especially to the weak and vulnerable in the isolated Communist regime.

The National Council of Churches in Korea, which groups together Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches among others, has launched an initiative to gather urgent support for people in North Korea and to mobilize its members churches.

The NCCK is calling on churches in Korea to join in the campaign and the government to reexamine its policy toward the north and resume its support to the regime without any precondition. more >>