Call for UK churches to build a 'church of the poor'
Categories: Articles:Social Justice |
Published: 06/06/2016 |
Views: 1554
Prominent church leaders and thinkers have issued a call to action for all the UK's churches, echoing Pope Francis' wish to see "a poor church, for the poor". (Ekklesia)
Their reflections and the challenge for the church are collected in a new resource, 'A Church of the Poor?', published by the ecumenical charity Church Action on Poverty on Sunday 5 June. It highlights good work being done in many UK churches to respond to the growing problem of UK poverty. But it also shows that much more needs to be done for the Church genuinely to put the poorest and most vulnerable people first.
Church Action on Poverty's Director Niall Cooper says: "Pope Francis has said that he wants 'a poor Church, for the poor' – but what does it actually mean to be a Church of and for the poor? Here in the UK, are our churches doing enough to stand in solidarity with people in poverty? This is a question which Church Action on Poverty has wrestled with for more than 30 years, but one which we will be pursuing with renewed vigour over the coming months. This call to action is only the start. Our ‘Church of the Poor’ programme will provide further materials and resources that enable churches to discover together what it means to truly be a church of the poor. We look forward to churches across the UK joining us on this journey!"
The resource includes calls to action from leading figures in nearly all the UK's Christian traditions, including Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, United Reformed Church, Church of Scotland, Quaker, Pentecostal, evangelical, and Lutheran. There are some very sharp challenges for the UK's churches: Read more here
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