By Wendy Ryan
Rick Warren, the widely-known evangelical pastor and author, has joined a diverse coalition of global evangelical and political leaders and called on President Bush to support “ONE: The Campaign To Make Poverty History.”
Until now, Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of megabestsellers The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church, has been known mostly for his church and writings and not for political involvement.
He admited as much in a letter he issued June 3 in which he outlined his reasons for joining the ONE campaign to “rally Americans to fight the emergence of HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty,” seek fair trade, debt relief, fight corruption and seek additional resources of basic needs such as education, health, clean water, food and care for orphans, all of which “would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries at a cost equal to one percent of the United States budget.”
“I've never been involved in partisan politics … and don't intend to do so now,” Warren says, “but global poverty is an issue that rises far above mere politics. It is a moral issue, … a compassion issue, and because Jesus commanded us to help the poor, it is an obedience issue.
“I deeply believe that if we as evangelicals remain silent and do not speak up in defense of the poor, we lose our credibility and our right to witness about God's love and Word,” Warren said.
Warren also described the personal impact witnessing poverty on visits to Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda and the resulting two-year strategy he has developed in his church for small groups to show global compassion.
Warren said other evangelical leaders such as John Stott and Billy Graham have joined him in lending their names and prayers to this campaign and he encourged people to sign a petition to urge President Bush to join the campaign when the G8 leaders of the world's eight wealthiest nations meet July 6 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The G8 summit is seen as a way “to take specific, measurable actions to fight poverty, hunger and disease.” The petition pleads with President Bush and the summit leaders “to help the poorest people of the world and give a clear timetable to cancel 100 percent of the debts owed by the poorest countries and reform trade rules so poor countries can earn sustainable incomes.”
Warren will be one of six celebration speakers for the Baptist World Alliance Centenary Congress in Birmingham, England, July 27-31, where he also will lead a focus group and participate in conferences for pastors.
More than 10,000 BWA participants are expected to hear Warren describe his engagement with world poverty.
The Baptist World Alliance general council has affirmed the Micah Challenge, a similar initiative being undertaken by evangelical churches around the world. The Micah Challenge aims to reach the United Nation's Millennium Development goals by the year 2015 to end poverty.
BWA Communications
Wendy Ryan is director of communications for the BWA. Additional information about anti-poverty campaigns is available at www.onecampaign.org, www.makepovertyhistory.org and www.michahchallenge.org.