From the NCCA Christian World Service
In an unprecedented step, Church Leaders from around the nation have entered into the election campaign calling for prayer and action to tackle global poverty.
The leaders of 14 Churches are calling on Christians around Australia to pray for the poor and urged all political parties to boost overseas aid to meet Australia’s commitments to the Millennium Development Goals – the world’s blueprint to halve global poverty by 2015.
“This is not an issue of left or right – it is a moral issue and an issue of such importance that the church leaders have taken this unprecedented step amid the Federal election campaign,” said Alistair Gee, Executive Director of CWS (the international development agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia).
The statement of the Church Leaders said:
As Church Leaders we call for churches around Australia to pray especially this Sunday for the poor and all working to reduce poverty. We also encourage churches to further reflect on the importance of effective overseas aid as a tool in poverty reduction and in meeting Australia’s commitments to halve extreme poverty and achieve the other Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
We see the continuing suffering of millions of people due to poverty as a moral challenge that must be addressed. We are sure that genuine progress can be made and acknowledge the encouraging news that for the first time, the number of children dying before they reach their 5th birthday has dropped below ten million per year.
Overseas aid should not be a party-political issue and we call on all parties to support overseas aid policies to meet Australia’s commitments to the Millennium Development Goals.
We make this statement in the name of the Triune God, who “upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry… and sustains the fatherless and the widow” and pray decisions of our political leaders will be positive and just and that they will act with wisdom and boldness for the poor.
Statement made by:
The Revd Gregor Henderson, President of the Uniting Church in Australia
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia
Archbishop Philip Wilson, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Brian Houston, President of Australian Christian Churches (AOG)
The Revd Dr Michael Semmler, President of the Lutheran Church of Australia
The Revd Dr Ross Clifford, President of the Baptist Union of Australia
Lyndsay Farrall, Presiding Clerk of the Australian Session of the Religious Society of Friends
The Revd Robert Benn, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia
Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Archbishop Mor Malatius Malki Malki, Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church
Bishop Daniel, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church (Sydney and Affiliated Regions)
Bishop Albert Chiew, Bishop of the Chinese Methodist Church
Bishop Mar Meelis Zaia, Bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East
The Revd Allan Filipaina, of the Congregational Federation of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
Bishop Suriel, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church (Diocese of Melbourne)
Along with increasing overseas aid, the other important tools in poverty reduction are fairer trade, tackling corruption, improving governance, addressing climate change and cancelling unjust debt.
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For further information contact:
Archbishop Philip Wilson (08) 8210 8117
Revd Gregor Henderson (02) 6295 3680
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall (07) 3835 2210 or 0420 970 605
