World Council of Churches - Update
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

For immediate release: 5 March 2004


US churches on the leading edge of advocacy work, WCC general secretary says


Please see WCC Upcoming Events of March 2004

"The vitality and creativity of peace and justice work in the United States is a resource for the global ecumenical family," the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told some 600 representatives of US churches and faith-based organizations.

Speaking at the opening of the second annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice, 5-8 March in Washington, DC - an initiative sponsored by a broad range of churches and church-related organizations - the WCC general secretary told the gathering that "in many ways you have been on the leading edge of advocacy work."

In that context, Kobia explained, the 2004 focus on the US of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence is "an opportunity to highlight the contributions which US churches and movements have made to the cause of peace", as well as an occasion for churches worldwide to express solidarity with churches in the United States.

"We know it is not easy speaking truth to power in the United States these days. But we want you to know that we are with you. We hope that you feel the support of the global ecumenical fellowship of churches worldwide as you conduct your advocacy for a better world," Kobia said.

He also shared with the gathering his dream of a new US foreign policy "based on peace-making", which he defined in the words of the general secretary of the US National Council of Churches, Rev. Bob Edgar, as "internationally engaged," and "committed to collective security through arms control, deterrence, disarmament and international cooperation".

Recalling that nuclear disarmament has been a priority for the WCC since its outset, Kobia welcomed the initiative "A moral appeal for a safer world without nuclear weapons," to be launched by US religious, scientific and medical leaders in the context of the Advocacy Days. “We welcome this initiative and hope that you will give this appeal the strongest possible support,” he said.

Spiritual discernment and global fellowship

Kobia also emphasized two particular gifts that churches bring to advocacy work: spiritual discernment and the fact that they belong to a global Christian fellowship. "The quest for spiritual discernment must be at the centre of our advocacy. (…) It must be the basis for our words and our actions," said Kobia.

As evidence, the WCC general secretary enumerated a list of "people whose witness has been clearly centered in their spirituality", like Martin Luther King Jr. whose witness, he said, "is one of the most dramatic and influential gifts the United States has given to the world, and especially to the oppressed of this world".

According to Kobia, spiritual discernment gives Christians "strength, conviction, and the courage to withstand the harsh realities of power" at a time when "the forces for war and oppression are ascendant". While "in 2004, working for peace and justice in the halls of power in the United States is exhausting work", a spiritual perspective gives to Christians "the courage to hope".

Spiritual discernment allows Christians engaged in advocacy efforts also “to step back from the immediate issues and to see the larger picture,” and to make “a particular contribution” centered in values and principles. Political leaders are increasingly “turning to churches for guidance, for ethical reflection, for a moral grounding on the burning issues of the day”, Kobia said.

The second particular gift churches bring to advocacy work is being part of a global Christian community. In order to link the grassroots with the national and international levels at which advocacy is conducted, “churches are truly in a unique position” since they are “an incredible network of Christians striving to follow the values of the Gospel in every corner of the globe,” he said.

By channeling the concerns of the global church into effective advocacy at the national and international levels, the global Christian community can change policies. “I encourage you to reach out to your brothers and sisters in other parts of the world - to hear their stories, to listen to their cries, to channel these hopes and dreams into effective work in the halls of power,” Kobia challenged the audience.

Sponsored by a coalition of 26 churches and religious groups, the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice are focusing on four regions of the world - Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East - and on trade and debt issues and nuclear disarmament.

Sessions on 5, 6 and 7 March are taking place at the Doubletree Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia, and on 8 March at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill in Washington. The theme of the Advocacy Days is: “I Will Feed Them with Justice,” a quotation from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.

All sessions of the conference are open to the media and interviews can be arranged by contacting:
Kirsten Anderson-Stembridge +1 202 669 4712
Mark Brown +1 301 706 4110

Additional information available at: www.advocacydays.org

Full text of Samuel Kobia's speech available at: http://www.wcc-coe.orgwcc/what/international/kobia-advocacy.html
This material may be reprinted freely.

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland..