An blog update for YOU!

Hey friends and fans! We've moved the blog.
The new address (so you can update your RSS feeds and readers) is http://e4gr.wordpress.com/. Please update your lists!

We recently asked our wonderful team of bloggers if they had interest keep up writing and posting, and from this group there was little time and availability. However--we would LOVE to add your voice to the mix!

If you are interested in writing, posting and keeping us all in the loop on making a difference towards achieving the MDGs--we need YOU! Please email Executive Director, Devon Anderson at e4gred (at) gmail (dot) com or leave us a comment here and we'll contact you right away!

This blog will be removed soon, but each and every single post has been archived and saved, and is completely searchable anytime at http://egrarchive.wordpress.com/

Thanks and look forward to seeing you all at the new space!

Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation
End Poverty. Unite the Church. Heal a Broken World.
http://www.e4gr.org
http://e4gr.wordpress.com/

Diocese of MD and MDGs

Exciting times are here again this year in the Diocese of MD - we have 10 applicants for the Diocesan MDG grants - including many new applicants. The Committee is excited to learn of the work parishes are doing in alleviating extreme poverty and the variety of ministries they are participating in. The Committee will make our recommendations to Diocesan Council in November. Our website is http://www.globalmission.ang-md.org/

E4GR Half the Sky - MDG#3

Dear E4GR Friends:

I try to track news coverage of the MDGs via a Google News Alert, and I have to say there is little in the US press about extreme poverty and the attempts to address it.

Thus I was delighted to see the significant coverage around the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Pulitzer Prize winning authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. My copy should be arriving this week.

There was a major piece in the New York Times Book Review section a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html

And last night on Dateline, Ann Curry interviewed Nicholas Kristof and Mukhtar Mai, one of the heroines of the book -- a woman who turned her rape into incredible efforts to build a new society in rural central Pakistan, by building schools for girls. See more on the story here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/

Kristof and WuDunn have not only written a book, they are starting a movement for women's rights, and have set up a web page on the movement, here:

http://www.halftheskymovement.org/ . The Get Involved section shows some of the many organizations working for women's rights, education, maternal health, stopping sex trade trafficking and more.

Perhaps some of these resources can be helpful to us as we plan our MDG campaigns.

--
Eleanor Braun

Diocese of Virginia Co-Coordinator

Millennium Development Goal #1 – by John G. Miers

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

“I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
- Matthew 25:31-46

Extreme Poverty and Hunger. Have you seen it? Are you sure? People are quick to say “sure, I’ve seen hunger and poverty….just downtown earlier this week.” I’m sure they saw some hunger and poverty, but that is not exactly what this goal is speaking to. This Goal is to Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty. It also refers to this eradication as being done throughout the world, not just “downtown.”

What is meant by “Extreme?” Just what does it mean? How hungry can you be before your hunger is “Extreme?”

This is a hard question, because there are many definitions of hunger.

If a person doesn’t have lunch, is he or she hungry?
If a baby does of malnourishment in its home is he or she hungry?
What about one who dies in the hospital?
If a school age child only eats junk food for lunch, is her or she hungry?
If there is a crop failure in Nigeria, will the people be hungry?

The same set of questions can be used as to just what defines “Poverty.” How poor do you have to be before your poverty is “Extreme?”

I think that the terms for the title of MDG #1 were chosen carefully. I believe that what the MDG-drafters were – and are – referring to is a pair of root and basic situations where many people do not have sufficient nourishment or wealth over an extended period of time, with not much hope to turn the situation around.

The MDGs were crafted to force us to look away from “downtown” and to a bigger picture, one that is world-wide, one that is “over there.” Poverty and Hunger can, indeed, be “Extreme” here, close to home, but the odds are much greater that they will be “Extreme” when you go to another part of the world. It is these places to which our attention must be directed, and our plentiful resources need to be directed “over there.”

How should this be done? How can we tend to our own people as well as tending to the others? This is a hard question, and one that is not easy to answer. Part of this difficulty is that when we see Poverty and Hunger in other places, the causes are often significantly different than they are “downtown,” and the ways to deal with them are also different than the easy ways that work over here. An entirely new way of thinking is needed; creativity and imagination are essential. We need the proverbial new set of lenses.

One of the most far-reaching impacts of the MDG effort will be the shifting in our perspectives from “downtown” to “over there.” This will be the most long-lasting and valuable effects. I hope that we can be “opticians to the world,” issuing everyone a new set of lenses!

We are currently in the series of Gospels where Jesus states that “I am bread.” Not the short-lived manna, but the long-life bread. This is what we need to give to the world.

John Miers is from Bethesda, Maryland, where he was employed at the National Institutes of Health from 1968 to 2005. He serves on the board of St. Luke’s House, a halfway house for persons recovering from mental illness and also serves as Jubilee Officer for the Diocese of Washington. He was a member of National Commission on Science, Technology and Faith for the Episcopal Church and is active in his local church, where he is in the choir, worship committee, pastoral care committee, and the prayer team, and he also visits patients in a local hospital on behalf of the Chaplain.

The EGR Volunteers

By John Hammock

Today my thoughts go to the EGR volunteers here at Convention—and all over the country—that have been so tireless in their work to promote the MDGs. It is a testament to their faith and their commitment to the Gospel. It is the volunteers who have led the charge in getting the 0.7% reinstated into the Church budget. It is impossible to name all the people who have contributed to this team effort. But we have had folks working the booth, selling t-shirts and passing out literature on the MDGs and EGR. We have had people testifying for the EGR supported resolutions; we have had volunteers handing out leaflets to delegates as they enter Convention to remind them of tonight’s U2charist. And we have had our EGR members and Board members as delegates working tirelessly to get specific legislation approved.

Today I want to spend a moment reflecting on the volunteer work of the EGR Board. We have a Board meeting today. It will be a short meeting where we welcome Devon Anderson as our new Executive Director. It is hard to believe that we have made a transition of Directors right in the time leading up to Convention! Devon has been front and center in the legislative EGR work at Convention—as has been Ian Douglas and Jeffrey Rowthorn. Dahn Gandell, in addition to being a Delegate to Convention has been tireless in organizing the work at the EGR booth and the U2Charist. Her energy and drive put together much of the EGR presence at Convention—very much helped by Debbie Shew, who spent countless hours at the booth with me day after day. For the first week of Convention we were joined in the booth by Arington Chambliss and in the last few days we have been joined by Board member Gary Cartwright. Yesterday Craig Cole joined us, though he is looking after the Five Talents booth also. And Laura Smith has been in and out—letting us know about what has transpired. Truly the Board members at Convention have been involved—given their time and talents to the EGR work.

I focus on the Board because this is an active board—one that takes time to work on the real issues. As Board Chair it is a pleasure to work with these committed individuals. And here at Convention we see directly the passion of our other volunteers—folks who make all the work possible. I cannot thank everyone by name, though in my next blog I want to single out several of the volunteers that have been so helpful.

With our wonderful booth and our legislative presence, some people may think that we have a large paid staff and a large budget. Neither is true. We have a staff of one and a half and a budget that is about $150,000 a year—for all that we do. And our Board is committed to keeping this a volunteer organization—building a movement for social change and personal transformation. With the help of all our volunteers, the Episcopal Church (TEC) has recommitted itself to the MDGs. Thanks be to God.

Not Just Another Day

We have a big day today. First let me thank you all AGAIN for your fabulous legislative work -- despite the slashing of the budget ($23 million) -- MDGs came out clear and strong. This is a direct result from all of you who showed up and spoke at hearings, as well as everyone out there praying and advocating from a distance. THANK YOU.

We said good-bye yesterday to Jason Long who volunteered all last week for EGR and said hello to our own Mike Kinman. God is good.

Tonight: U2charist--Dahn suggested making the time a bit later for the service with which I wholeheartedly agree. It's Dahn's call. Stay tuned. We'll keep you updated!

Short and sweet--but filled with HUGE gratitude.

Devon

Press Release: EGR Applauds Critical Funding for MDGs

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Contact: The Rev. Devon Anderson
Executive Director, Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation

EPISCOPALINANS FOR GLOBAL RECONCILIATION
APPLAUDS CRITICAL FUNDING FOR MDGs

The budget for the Episcopal Church presented to the joint session of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops today includes over $800,000 (or 0.7% of the budget), for the Millennium Development Goals. If approved, the funding will be directed to the Nets for Life program through Episcopal Relief and Development.

“The inclusion of the MDG line-item is a courageous and prophetic expression of faith,” said the Rev. Devon Anderson, Executive Director of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation.

“Tough financial times require us to make heart-wrenching choices, separating the urgent from the important. The budget reflects the heart of our church. While we realize that this is a sacrificial budget, the heartbeat of mission beats the loudest. And for this reason, we can be very proud as a church.”

“We are so grateful that the 0.7% for MDGs was reinstated and that domestic mission will also enjoy a 0.7% line-item. God is calling us to mission and these investments will equip us to be faithful to this call.”

Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation is a grassroots organization serving Christ in the extreme poor around the world. Earlier this week, both Houses passed D019, which called for the reinstatement of the MDG line-item at the 1% level. The line-item had been removed by Executive Council in its draft budget sent to General Convention. D019 was sponsored by the Rev. Dr. Ian Douglas, EGR and Dr. Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies.

The line-item can be found in the budget, page “B 8 of 11” on line 405 and amounts to $803,694 total over three years (2010-2012).
###

Today is BUDGET DAY

Good morning EGR friends!

Well, today is the day--the budget for 2010-2012 will be revealed to both the House of Deputies and bishops today at 2:30 pm by the Program, Budget and Finance Committee. If you haven't sat in the visitor's gallery at the House of Deputies, today would be an excellent time.

The U2charist flyers are ready to be passed out--again, can I tell you how awesome they look!?! Folks willing to help pass out U2charist flyers to deputies as the come into the convention center this morning please meet Tim and Debbie outside at 8:45 am. We will meet again tomorrow--so tell your friends that are in Anaheim, we would love to have a bunch of people helping. We are still looking for a few extra friends to help at the U2charist itself, stop over to the booth--again, easy work--HUGE impact.

KEEP THE FAITH and keep praying that despite the fact that PB&F had to strip $9 million from the triennium budget, that MDGs prevailed.

See you today in the booth at lunch time.

Another FANTASTIC and busy day

Hello friends and fans! How is everyone doing?

We are over the hump. On the floor of the House of Deputies yesterday we seemed to turn some kind of corner -- no longer did we have time to play around with floor procedure antics and word-smithing amendments requiring a vote. We are still considering resolutions from Legislative Day 4 and today begins Legislative Day 7.

Today Arrington (EGR Board Member and Secretary) leaves for home and I'd like to thank her for all of her help and support for EGR this week. She's been a great presence at the noon-day lunchtime speakers and she and I had a great meeting yesterday over a hurried turkey-sandwich dinner. Today we will also welcome board member Gary Cartwright who will be with us for the duration of GC.

We are in great shape for MDG funding at the 1% level. As you know D019 passed both houses before the Sunday at 6:00 pm deadline. The budget will be presented to both houses in a joint session on Wednesday from 2:30 - 3:30 on the floor of the House of Deputies. ERD Sunday is still stuck in my legislative committee -- I've tried to get it considered higher on the queue but the chairs anticipate a bit of resistance and want ample time for conversation in committee. I expect it will go through, we just need to hear people out. I will move to have it added to the Consent Calendar once it passes. We are not clear on where D018 is , but we will let you know as we know. Thanks to Tim for his tenacity around legislation. This has been a tremendous contribution.

The booth is happy and lively. Thanks to John and Debbie and Jennifer in particular who are putting in the long booth hours. Next GC I think we should have daily "behind the scenes hero" awards given out to the stellar EGR volunteer of the day -- because we definitely have no shortage of behind-the-scenes-heroes this General Convention.

Dahn says the plans for the U2charist are coming along nicely. We have not received any responses to our invitation for EGR affiliates to help us hand out fliers on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Can you or do you know someone who can help? Let us know! Stop by the booth. Its an easy way to make a huge difference.

That's about it for now.

HANG IN THERE -- this is the point when we (and SO many others at General Convention, you are not alone) are running on fumes and I ask you to be resolute in knowing that our collective efforts are making a huge difference. Thanks for your leadership, creativity and commitment.

With gratitude,
Devon Anderson, Executive Director

A note to the team

Dear EGR friends:

We had a GREAT day yesterday in the march toward the eradication of global poverty. D019, in an 11th hour floor maneuver to get considered before PB&F's 6:00 pm deadline, PASSED the House of Deputies yesterday. Ian and I were poised and in-line to speak, but that wasn't necessary. Someone called the question after a few random folks stood to support (much more powerful anyway) and the resolution passed resoundingly.

While we can all breathe a collective sigh when we actually SEE the budget, we are in very good shape for 1% for MDGs, and specifically Nets for Life. This is very good news and a prophetic statement to the world that no matter how tough things get financially, we will not back away from the poor. I was proud of our church yesterday.

THANKS to each one of you for the part you played in making this happen. Between the participation at the various legislative and budget hearings, to providing hearing testimony, strategizing with our new best friends ERD, handing out buttons, talking to people, distributing talking points, and communicating on-line we made a GREAT effort and it has paid off.

This morning in my committee we have discussion on a resolution regarding same-sex union blessings. I will move that we schedule the vote for ERD Sunday for tomorrow.

Love,
Devon Anderson, Executive Director

U2charist--Don't Miss Event at General Convention

And on Facebook here.
Be there.

The view from the booth-- a couple of items.

Today I saw just how active the EGR Board is at the Convention; this is no armchair quarterback board! Several board members happened to meet at the same time at the booth today. Ian Douglas, Bishop Rowthorn, Dahn Gandell and Devon Anderson on the front lines testifying and drafting resolutions. Laura Smith who ran in to the booth seconds after the House of Deputies passed the 1% resolution on the MDGs. Arington Chamblis, Debbie Shew and myself at the booth--listening to so many stories of people doing the education and fundraising work on the MDGs in their churches. And we are blessed with volunteers who are making sure that EGR and its message are everywhere at Convention. This is an active, volunteer board. Its strategic vision is paying off.

Next Thursday EGR is hosting a U2Charist at Convention. Today we handed out leaflets to hundreds of Convention participants as they walked to the Sunday Worship Service. It will be a rocking time on Thursday night.

The major worship service today was just awe inspiring, with literally hundreds and hundreds of participants singing, praying and having communion together. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori asked us all to travel lightly for Jesus. Tonight there was a totally different type of Worship Service--a Taize service of song, praise and prayer. About 50 people gathered together. It was a quiet, peaceful moment in a Convention filled with meetings, pageantry and bustle. It was a time to stop and give thanks. We are blessed. "Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

The view from the Booth

EGR has unveiled a Crabby for Change project--asking people to give up coffee and/or smoking and give the money they save to EGR. As you can see here, the attractive poster of the new campaign has a big crab on it. So, there we were, in the booth, and along comes a priest from Maryland who wants several copies of the poster--not because of the campaign itself, but because of the crab.

He showed me why: his unique business card has a crab on it. Distinctive, so very Maryland--a true crab for change fellow.

On a more serious note a doctor stopped by today. He told the story of a woman in Malawi who was ready to die. She had HIV/AIDS and no medicine. She had to be on a waiting list. The doctor mentioned this to a friend who then gave the small amount of money to tide her over to get the medicine. A year later she is fine, living a normal life. Her son has a mother and is not an orphan.

This is what this whole thing is all about: What one person can do--save a life and family.

Rule of Life: In Practice

It is amazing the people we are meeting in the EGR booth in Anaheim. Like this, one story from yesterday.

One woman had joined EGR's Rule of Life last year. She came by the booth to make sure we had a change of email address for her. What did the Rule of Life mean for her?

• She started to go to the Cameroon where she was involved in a building an orphanage.
  
• She became aware that they were over $50,000 short to be able to finish the project. Though not a fundraiser at all, she put herself to the task.
  

As she said, "there is no doubt in my mind that it was my being part of the EGR Rule of Life that made it possible for me to raise the money needed between Thanksgiving and Christmas." I was humbled and awed by the power of community, of prayer and of the Holy Spirit at work.

To join the EGR Rule of Life go to
www.e4gr.org and go to Rule of Life.

ERG, MDGs and Global Poverty In the News

News from around--check out these articles:

Bishops Support Increasing MDG Committment to 1%
Jerald Hyche, Episcopal Life Online

"This really caught the imagination of many of my small churches in Western Kansas," Adams said. "They really got behind it and they put that .7 percent in their budgets. They won't be able to do 1 percent. They barely did .7. And they're going to feel like they failed somehow.

Dr Schori stresses essentials and recession at Convention
Pat Ashworth, Church Times

“Our time right now is tough, but it is marked by another type of tough times, marked by terrorism and the declining economy. . . In June, it was announced that the first half of 2009 pushed another 105 million people into hunger, raising the total number of hungry people in the world now to more than one billion.” She com­mended the 50 per cent of Episcopal churches that have embraced the MDGs as a mission focus.

Global economics a 'crisis of truthfulness,' Archbishop of Canterbury tells convention
Matthew Davies, Episcopal Life Online

Introducing the forum, Bishop Greg Rickel of the Diocese of Olympia welcomed the more than 70 international visitors to General Convention. "It's important that we look outward to the wider world. Our life as Christians compels us to see global poverty as our collective problem," he said.

As heard in the hallway news:
Last night 4 from the ERG team testified at the PB&F hearing.
Today, there was some amazing testimony given to the D018 Resolution--calling for a spiritual look at the global financial crisis.
More as the day rolls on.

EGR Booth: You Never Know What You'll Find

The EGR booth (live and virtual) at convention is a lively place.

It is a place to meet and greet people; it is a place to do emails on the three computers set up by EGR for this purpose; it is a place to rest on the couches and have meaningful conversations.

Just today I looked up and there was a fellow in an army uniform looking down at me. He didn't say a word. I could just not place him. It took a long time but then it dawned on me. He had been a visiting priest at St Stephens church over 20 years ago! He had joined the army and had served as Chaplain in Iraq, Central America, and elsewhere. He had recognized me and there he was. What a treat!

Yesterday I had a long talk with a young woman who wants to run for office in Texas. The booth is not just a place to talk about the Millennium Development Goals and about EGR. It is also a lively meeting place--to make new friends and meet old, old ones. A welcoming place, a place where one can feel the presence of God.

Lunchtime Speaker Marshall Ganz

Today @ the EGR Booth

Marshall Ganz today spoke at the EGR booth about the public narrative project. He said that for change to take place it was essential to train leaders. Leadership training was a key to success as was timing. There was no point in embarking on a process of change if people were not fully trained, especially because the training helps to sustain people over time.

Devon Anderson spoke about the public narrative pilot project in Minnesota. Here they had success in four churches out of five in getting congregations to increase their giving for the Millennium Development Goals.

In the discussion there was discussion on who would take on the public narrative after Convention. It was clear that EGR was well placed to take on this organizing work within the Church. It seemed that there was momentum in the church for the public narrative project and for the Millennium Development Goals. The discussion was joined by several members of the EGR Board of Directors, each who expressed strong interest in this community organizing model.


Dr. John Hammock is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy & The Fletcher School, Tufts University. He is currently on leave until September, 2008 and working with fellow EGR board member Sabina Alkire in founding the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative, where he is a senior research associate. He is also the managing director of the Global Equity Initiative at Harvard University, where his work has centered on the Human Development and Capability Program, with particular focus on policy issues and implementation. John was raised in Cuba, served as Executive Director at Oxfam America from 1984-1995 and as Executive Director at ACCION International from 1973-1980. John is a graduate of Denison University and the Fletcher School. He has also worked at the Global Equity Initiative. John's Publications.

Don't forget: The "Virtual Booth" is open!

The 'Virtual Booth' is up.
Daily podcasts, news, and more.

Check it out if you haven't already.






And if you haven't seen it yet--there is a great article by Jerald Hyche up on Episcopal Life Online.
Check it out!

Bishop Jim Adams of Western Kansas said he agreed, but expressed concern for those churches that might not be able to keep up.

"This really caught the imagination of many of my small churches in Western Kansas," Adams said. "They really got behind it and they put that .7 percent in their budgets. They won't be able to do 1 percent. They barely did .7. And they're going to feel like they failed somehow.

Reinstate .7%: a symbol for our church

Testimony heard on the floor yesterday by
The Rev. Devon Anderson (C1, Diocese of Minnesota) and Executive Director, EGR

I am here regarding the reinstatement of the 0.7% line-item for MDGs, and its increase to 1% in the budget PBF presents to GC.

I want to speak about the MDG line-item as a symbol for our church. Symbols convey with an image our stories, core values, and faith in God. Think about the rainbow, the dove, the olive branch. Think about wine and bread, water and blood, the cross and the empty tomb. These are all symbols that convey to the world who we are and what we believe as a Christian people.

Likewise the 0.7% symbol tells the world who we are in relation to the world’s poorest people. It shows CLEARLY, without relying on additional math or examination of our budget, that we are taking seriously repeated requests from our own church and from the Anglican Communion to share our resources with the billions of people who don’t have enough to eat in God’s world. The symbol is a model to the dioceses, congregations and individuals to continue making a similar proclamation with their budgets, remembering that budgets are moral documents that reflect what is in our hearts. And, the symbol gives us critical weight in lobbying our elected leaders so the US can achieve its 0.7% promise – making it clear that we are not asking our country to do anything we are not already doing ourselves.

We are faced here with a defining moment about whether to recommit to this symbol, or break it down into smaller parts and back away. But as we read in 1Corinthians: “If the trumpet sounds an uncertain call, who will follow?” It’s easier to do the right thing when there’s nothing to lose. But we’re in lean financial times, and a choice to be faithful to God’s call to the MDGs will cost us. But isn’t this what we’re about as a church? We have an opportunity to refuel this symbol – to tell the world that under no circumstances will we compromise or water down our promises to the poor. Please re-fund the MDG line-item at the 1% level as a symbol to the world of where our heart is as a church.

Thank you.

We Have Been Living a Lie

Rowan Williams at Convention last night said we have been living a lie. Yes, we have been deceiving ourselves by living three lies:

--that life and economics is all about growth and wealth
--that somehow we do not have to worry about the environment and the climate change
--that individually we can go along merrily living as we now do

He said our role now was to speak the Truth. That if we as Christians could not stand up to speak the Truth, then we were not being true to our faith. He called on economics to focus on well being, not just growth and to work within environmental limits. He noted that government has lost the trust of people (he particularly stressed the UK government) and thought that civil society was crucial. Again, the role of the church was particularly keen, since churches are effective at the grassroots level.

In listening to Rowan Williams I had two thoughts: EGR and OPHI.

EGR has been speaking the truth about the MDGs and about the growing hunger and poverty in the world for some time. At a time when some church leaders think that the budget should be cut for the Episcopal Church work with the MDGs, we have been calling for just the opposite. This is a defining moment for us. We need to take up the challenge to redouble our efforts on behalf of those left out (no, more than left out, they are singled out) of any economic strategy. EGR needs to continue to build its movement at the grassroots level. As Rowan Williams says, it is up to those who people can trust to build up that trust through transparency and thoughtful action.

Yesterday I met our Presiding Bishop and introduced myself. Her reaction when she heard I was the Chair of the Board of EGR was that we had helped mount a tsunami—a groundswell of support for reinstating the MDG funds into the Church budget. It is up to us to continue to have that tsunami expand so that we recommit to the MDGs and then leave Convention ready to organize to make the MDGs a conversion experience and a beacon of what a faith community can do.

The second thought I had while listening to Rowan Williams was OPHI. I work for the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). Our goal, under the leadership of Sabina Alkire, also on the EGR Board, is to build a new economic framework based on the work of Amartya Sen. This is a framework that focuses on the wellbeing of all people, not just growth. Over the last two years we have been setting in place the building blocks for this new economics. And it is now working and being discovered. Our work is now having an impact in Chile, Mexico, and Bhutan to mention just three places. But the exciting thing is that what we are doing fits exactly into the general thoughts offered by Rowan Williams. I would love to see Rowan Williams, Amartya Sen and Sabina Alkire discussing this!!

In any event, there is no doubt that this Convention has the opportunity to have the Church take up the defining moment—and to let its faith and not economic shortfalls—dictate its mission. A big thank you to Rowan Williams for his vision and his willingness to speak the truth. We have been living multiple lies. And they are catching up with us. It is time for us Christians to lay down those lies and take up the truth—though it may hurt and may make us change our living patterns. God calls us to repentance and new living. The time is now.

If you are interested in more information of OPHI, please email me john.hammock(at symbol)tufts.edu or go to our website www.ophi.org.uk