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Call to Renewal Conference Focuses on Poverty
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March, 2000) - In an unprecedented partnership, 57 church leaders, including Evangelical Covenant Church President Glenn R. Palmberg, signed a document entitled "The Covenant to Overcome Poverty" at a recent Call to Renewal Conference.
The signing at the U.S. Capitol was a highlight of the Call to Renewal campaign, which embodies a commitment to address poverty and its disproportionate impact on racial minorities. The church leaders also urged political candidates this year to join the covenant between all sectors of society to attack the problem of poverty. The rally and signing were preceded by a two-day conference at the National City Christian Church, attended by many of the leaders.
"Call to Renewal is a broad-based evangelical group that includes a number of parachurch organizations along with church groups," Palmberg said. "They are attempting to keep before the church in America the plight of the poor in the midst of a time of great economic prosperity. It is a deeply biblical witness," he continued. "I think of Jesus at Nazareth, saying that God had anointed him to bring good news to the poor, or speaking later about feeding and clothing the needy, welcoming the stranger, and caring for the sick."
Palmberg said he enjoyed spending time with others who are deeply committed to living out the gospel. "I was pleased to sign the joint statement as an individual seeking to serve Christ," he said.
The Covenant to Overcome Poverty is styled as a list of moral concerns and commitments to social action, urging voters to evaluate political candidates and their policy proposals. It defines a "good" society in terms of a minimum level of equality in health, housing, and education for everyone. The agenda calls for an examination of our financial choices; an evaluation of public policy and political candidates, in particular the manner in which they have an impact on people who are poor; a call to challenge racism and racial injustice; and a commitment to organize across barriers of race, denomination, and social boundaries..."
In the past five years, the Call to Renewal project has held town meeting events around the country to focus attention on ways businesses, nonprofit groups, and government and religious organizations can improve services to help the needy. It came in response to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, but also was an initiative to end a split between liberal and conservative churches on how best to address social problems.
This year's event included officials from the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Council of Churches, and the U.S. Catholic Conference, among others.
"In a time of record prosperity, the poor are being left behind, but the churches are being drawn together," said Rev. Jim Wallis, convener of Call to Renewal and editor of nationally recognized Sojourners magazine. "I believe we are on the verge, on the edge of a movement for economic justice led in large part by people of faith," Wallis said.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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