Episcopal Press and News

Province IV Hunger Conference Held

Diocesan Press Service. July 21, 1975 [75249]

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Following up on the March Interprovincial Hunger Conference, a training conference on World and Domestic Hunger was held for representatives of the Fourth Province in Atlanta, Ga., June 5 to 7.

Approximately 50 persons from 14 of the 18 dioceses in the province attended the sessions, which were under the direction of a team led by the Very Rev. Allen Bartlett, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville, Ky.

During the two-day meeting the participants heard a number of presentations, viewed audio-visual resources, and engaged in bible study and discussions in clusters of neighboring dioceses.

Dr. Gerald Combs, University of Georgia Animal Nutrition specialist, led off the first of two major presentations with a description of the extent and severity of global hunger. He identified the key factors as being population growth, food production and preservation, and food distribution.

Of the latter factor, Dr. Combs said, "In some instances we have hindered creation of systems of distribution in the past, because we have simply sent food in from outside. "

The second presentation came from a panel composed of Dr. Dan Blumenthal, U.S.P.H.S. Disease Control Center; Mr. Haines Pressley, U.S.D.A. Child Nutrition; and Ms. Barbara Bode, Executive Director of The Children's Foundation. They discussed the various facets of domestic hunger, particularly as it applies to children.

On Friday morning the conferees heard Mr. Michael Mawema, a native of Rhodesia studying at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. Mr. Mawema is the national organizing secretary for the African National Council, a group seeking to replace the Ian Smith government of Rhodesia with a native government.

In describing five types of hunger which must be dealt with -- spiritual, physical, psychological, economic, and political -- Mr. Mawema said, "The problem for the developed countries is to learn how to distribute so as not to be misunderstood, so as not to come across as instruments of perpetuating colonialism which the third world no longer accepts."

Models for action were presented Friday evening and Saturday morning. These involved personal, parish, community, and youth oriented programs. Dean Bartlett explained various ways in which individuals may change their lifestyle, most of which serve chiefly to increase personal awareness of hunger as a continuing problem.

Mr. Ned Hardison, Junior Warden of Christ Church, Charlotte, N.C., and Chairman of its "Matthew 25 " program, described that congregation's decision to forego a planned new parish activities building in favor of raising the $250, 000 needed for it to be used to alleviate hunger.

Mrs. Kathryn Waller, wife of the Rev. Harcourt Waller, both of whom are members of an ecumenical group in Charlotte known as The Community of the Fellowship of Jesus, told of a project in which the number of persons receiving Food Stamps in Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, was increased from 15,000 to 41,000 through the efforts of a number of volunteers conducting outreach programs.

Mr. Tom Dukes, high school student from Albany, Ga., presented some models for action by young people on the final morning.

Before the concluding Eucharist, each diocesan team spent time planning what steps it would take to get action going among the congregations within its diocese. The conferees agreed that a realistic goal would be having an active hunger task force of at least four persons working in 75 percent of the congregations of each diocese by the end of this year.