FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — The Baptist World Alliance is encouraging churches to observe Human Rights Day the weekend of Dec. 12-13.
The weekend is nearest the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations on Dec. 10, 1948. The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty first called on Baptist bodies in the United States to observe Human Rights Day on the 10th anniversary of the declaration in 1958.
The BWA offers free liturgies, Bible passages and hymns emphasizing human rights for use in churches; all are available on BWA's website.
The global network for Baptists has strongly emphasized human rights throughout its 104 years of history. In 2008 the BWA created a Division of Freedom and Justice to formalize and expand work on behalf of the marginalized.
Each year the BWA presents an annual human-rights award. This year the award, presented in August in the Netherlands, went to Leena Lavanya of India, whose ServeTrust ministry operates a home for the aged, a home for lepers, homes for HIV/AIDS-infected children and adults, and an HIV/AIDS counseling center.
-30-