August, 2008
TO THE CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES
As the Church of the Lord in what is known as the “Southern” part of the world, moved by the Holy Spirit to fight for the abundant life that Jesus Christ offers, we address our Christian family in the United States, a Church of the same covenant, faith and love. Grace and Peace to all of our brothers and sisters.
We know your works of love; these works have allowed millions of human beings for many generations in our countries in the South to receive the gospel, the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of His Salvation. The U.S. church’s untiring missionary effort planted in our lands Hope in Him who came to reconcile EVERYTHING.
Nevertheless, the political, social and economic situation in the places where this hope has been announced is increasingly distressing. Millions of people in the global South are dying of hunger, violence and injustice. These situations of poverty and pain are not simply the product of the internal functions of our countries; rather they are the results of the international policies of the governments that wield global power.
Therefore, we have this against you, brothers and sisters, that along with this powerful announcing of the Gospel, the Church from the United States has not also raised its voice in protest against the injustices that powerful governments and institutions are inflicting on the global South - injustices that afflict the lives and ecosystems of millions of people who, centuries after the proclamation of the Gospel, still have not seen the sweat of their brow turned into bread.
The worsening inequality and poverty in the South is alarming. Seven years since the United States and 191 other nations publicly promised to cut extreme global poverty in half by the year 2015 through the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), your country has made only a little progress towards fulfilling its commitments.
The MDGs should stir us to action because they echo the calls of the biblical prophets for justice and equity. Further, they are achievable and measurable markers on the roadmap to end extreme global poverty.
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. If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?
The Church in the United States has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches. 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.
Out of love for us, the global Church, in holiness, use your citizenship responsibly for the benefit of the entire world; it is for this very reason that the Lord poured out His life on the Cross.
All who have ears, let them hear what the Lord says to His Church.
Ndaba Mazabane
President
Association of Evangelicals in Southern Africa
Bishop Gerry Seale
General Secretary/CEO
Evangelical Association of the Caribbean
Dr. Richard Howell
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of India
Rev Moss Ntlha
General Secretary
Evangelical Alliance of South Africa
C. Rene Padilla
President
Kairos (Peru)
Pastor Owen Isaacs
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana
Bishop Efraim Tendero
President
Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches
Rev Heng Cheng
General Secretary/CEO
Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia
Bishop Paul Mususu
Executive Director/CEO
Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia
Rev Bambang Semedi
General Secretary
Southern Part Sumatera Christian Church
Dr. Reynaldo R. Avante
National Coordinator
Micah Challenge Philippines
Bishop Mano Rumalshah
Bishop
Diocese of Peshawar (Pakistan)
Alfonso Weiland
Co-founder
Paz y Esperanza (Peru)
Erika Izquierdo
Paz y Esperanza (Peru)
Lawrence Tempfwe
National Facilitator
Micah Challenge Zambia
Rev Joe Simfukwe
Principal
Bible College of Central Africa
João Pedro Martins
National Coordinator
Micah Challenge Portugal
Rev Soleman Batti
Chairman
The Toraja Church (Indonesia)
Rev Untung S.K. Wijayaputra
President
The Toraja Mamasa Church (Indonesia)
d’Karlo Pyrba
Director
YABIMA Foundation (Indonesia)
Semuel Takajanji
Director
Kuda Putih Sejahtera Foundation (Indonesia)
Rev Iskandar Saher
Executive Director
Center for the Development of Holistic Ministry (Indonesia)
TO THE CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES
As the Church of the Lord in what is known as the “Southern” part of the world, moved by the Holy Spirit to fight for the abundant life that Jesus Christ offers, we address our Christian family in the United States, a Church of the same covenant, faith and love. Grace and Peace to all of our brothers and sisters.
We know your works of love; these works have allowed millions of human beings for many generations in our countries in the South to receive the gospel, the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of His Salvation. The U.S. church’s untiring missionary effort planted in our lands Hope in Him who came to reconcile EVERYTHING.
Nevertheless, the political, social and economic situation in the places where this hope has been announced is increasingly distressing. Millions of people in the global South are dying of hunger, violence and injustice. These situations of poverty and pain are not simply the product of the internal functions of our countries; rather they are the results of the international policies of the governments that wield global power.
Therefore, we have this against you, brothers and sisters, that along with this powerful announcing of the Gospel, the Church from the United States has not also raised its voice in protest against the injustices that powerful governments and institutions are inflicting on the global South - injustices that afflict the lives and ecosystems of millions of people who, centuries after the proclamation of the Gospel, still have not seen the sweat of their brow turned into bread.
The worsening inequality and poverty in the South is alarming. Seven years since the United States and 191 other nations publicly promised to cut extreme global poverty in half by the year 2015 through the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), your country has made only a little progress towards fulfilling its commitments.
The MDGs should stir us to action because they echo the calls of the biblical prophets for justice and equity. Further, they are achievable and measurable markers on the roadmap to end extreme global poverty.
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. If you who know the Truth will not speak for us who will?
The Church in the United States has the opportunity today to be faithful to the Hope that it preaches. 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.
Out of love for us, the global Church, in holiness, use your citizenship responsibly for the benefit of the entire world; it is for this very reason that the Lord poured out His life on the Cross.
All who have ears, let them hear what the Lord says to His Church.
Ndaba Mazabane
President
Association of Evangelicals in Southern Africa
Bishop Gerry Seale
General Secretary/CEO
Evangelical Association of the Caribbean
Dr. Richard Howell
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of India
Rev Moss Ntlha
General Secretary
Evangelical Alliance of South Africa
C. Rene Padilla
President
Kairos (Peru)
Pastor Owen Isaacs
General Secretary
Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana
Bishop Efraim Tendero
President
Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches
Rev Heng Cheng
General Secretary/CEO
Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia
Bishop Paul Mususu
Executive Director/CEO
Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia
Rev Bambang Semedi
General Secretary
Southern Part Sumatera Christian Church
Dr. Reynaldo R. Avante
National Coordinator
Micah Challenge Philippines
Bishop Mano Rumalshah
Bishop
Diocese of Peshawar (Pakistan)
Alfonso Weiland
Co-founder
Paz y Esperanza (Peru)
Erika Izquierdo
Paz y Esperanza (Peru)
Lawrence Tempfwe
National Facilitator
Micah Challenge Zambia
Rev Joe Simfukwe
Principal
Bible College of Central Africa
João Pedro Martins
National Coordinator
Micah Challenge Portugal
Rev Soleman Batti
Chairman
The Toraja Church (Indonesia)
Rev Untung S.K. Wijayaputra
President
The Toraja Mamasa Church (Indonesia)
d’Karlo Pyrba
Director
YABIMA Foundation (Indonesia)
Semuel Takajanji
Director
Kuda Putih Sejahtera Foundation (Indonesia)
Rev Iskandar Saher
Executive Director
Center for the Development of Holistic Ministry (Indonesia)
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