Executive Council Adopts World Hunger Recommendations
Diocesan Press Service. December 12, 1974 [74352]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church has adopted a series of resolutions concerning "the problem of world hunger," identified as "a challenge before all people greater than anything previously experienced in history. "
Bishop Edmond L. Browning, executive for mission, told the Council, "We see God speaking to us through the starving people of the world. Though we have heard this," he said, "we must re-affirm it to the people of God."
"There is a mission this church has to the starving," he said. "There must be a living, acting, sacramental response to this problem," he added.
The Council responded by adopting a Statement which commits it to "the short term imperative " of seeking "to interrupt the process of certain starvation for as many as possible of the hundreds of thousands of human beings who will die in the coming months."
The Statement also speaks to "the long term necessity " of working toward the "redistribution of the world's available resources so that all peoples are able, not only to sustain life, but to achieve with dignity the highest possible quality of life."
The Council asked Presiding Bishop John M. Allin to "request that every parish of the Episcopal Church form a Task Force on Hunger " to raise awareness of "the dimensions of the crisis and its causes " and to enable "immediate and long range actions."
The Council approved the calling of two regional conferences (one east and one west of the Mississippi River) to be held in January and February, 1975, "to train enablers for each diocese within the U.S. " The overseas bishops at their meeting in February, 1975, will be asked to arrange for the training of similar teams in their dioceses.
An ad hoc Inter-Provincial Team will be appointed by Bishop Allin "to be responsible for the implementation of the planning, conducting, and evaluation of these regional, diocesan and parish activities." A report by this team is to be made to the Council in September, 1975, "with recommendations for future policy, structure and program."
The Council also adopted an "immediate response commitment," and commended the paper to " every diocese, parish and member of this Church. "
The commitment calls for daily prayer "for those who do not have food... and for grace and power to take appropriate action;" a suggested contribution of "a percentage of our income to the feeding of the hungry -- at least $1.00 per family per month;" an examination and evaluation of "our life styles with respect to the use of resources which might be available for feeding the hungry;" finding "ways to consume less energy in our daily lives. . . in order to help our economy which in turn will make more aid to other nations possible;" and "to bring about appropriate political, social and economic change " by participating " in reforming the institutions of society. "
Bishop Allin has also asked for a special contribution by every member of the church for the hungry of the world during Epiphanytide. Checks should be made payable to The Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, designated for "Hunger," and sent to the Fund at the Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017.
[Contact the Archives for a report to the Executive Council from the Task Force on World Hunger, Immediate Response Commitment, Recommendations on World Hunger and a Statement on World Hunger - Ed.]