NEW YORK (ABP) — A reported 119 million Christians around the globe stood up for action to end poverty Oct. 19.
Observed the Sunday closest to the United Nations’ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Micah Sunday aims to mobilize churches to learn, reflect and act on global-poverty issues. Sponsored by the international anti-poverty group Micah Challenge, the emphasis focuses on the Old Testament prophet’s call to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Launched internationally four years ago, the Micah Challenge aims to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015 by deepening Christian commitment to the poor and holding governments accountable to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, eight international development goals adopted by 189 U.N. member states in 2001.
Micah Challenge USA recently issued an open letter challenging presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama to support a foreign policy that renews America’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship entered a two-year partnership with Micah Challenge USA earlier this year. The Baptist World Alliance endorsed the campaign in 2004.
On Oct. 26 in Thailand, leaders of the World Evangelical Alliance commissioned Joel Edwards, their formal general director, as the first international director of Micah Challenge. A British immigrant from Jamaica, Edwards resigned in September after 11 years from his post at the largest evangelical body in the United Kingdom. His new work with Micah Challenge begins Jan. 1.
In Washington earlier in October to meet with U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon, Edwards told the newspaper Christian Today that evangelicals in the United States have been a little slow to get behind Micah Challenge, but now have expressed their full commitment to the effort.
“I think the problem with America is that it is so large that it is very insular,” Edwards said. “Any nation which has a major sporting event with all American teams and calls it an ‘international’ has serious problems with its foreign policy.”
Edwards said listening to foreign leaders is a way for Americans to learn “there is a world out there beyond the U.S. that has something to say to you and something to teach you.”
“That is very important,” he said. “The extent to which the U.S. can do that is the extent to which we will accelerate the change in attitude in the rest of the world.”
-30-