wfn.org | ACNS3602 Archbishop of Canterbury becomes Patron of Five

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3602     |     USA     |	  2 OCTOBER 2003 

Archbishop of Canterbury becomes Patron of Five Talents International

[ACNS source: Five Talents International] The Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Most Revd Rowan Williams, has reaffirmed his commitment to the poor
in developing nations by accepting an invitation to become the principal
patron of Five Talents International. Archbishop Williams, the titular
head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, acted in response to the
persistent poverty that continues to afflict and devastate millions of
families around the world. 

Five Talents is an Anglican initiative to help the poor through
innovative savings and loan programs and small business training. In
accepting the patronage, Archbishop Williams wrote, "I commend Five
Talents International for its continuing efforts to empower the poor, to
strengthen the church and to show Christ's love and mercy to all." 

"His Grace has been supportive of Five Talents from its very beginning,"
said Craig Cole, Executive Director of the organization. "His acceptance
marks his deep concern and priority for mission work within the wider
Anglican Communion, especially work that reaches and empowers those
deeply affected by disease, unemployment and a complete lack of social
services." 

Five Talents was launched as a grassroots effort to affirm the dignity
of the poor, to address the root cause of poverty, ill health and
illiteracy, and to bring economic justice. It was originally commended
at the 1998 Lambeth Conference, a once-a-decade worldwide conference of
Anglican bishops, and Archbishop Williams was one of its staunch
supporters even then. The same Lambeth Conference also passed a
resolution challenging Anglican and Episcopal provinces and dioceses to
give 0.7% of their budgets to international development programs, and
Five Talents is widely recognized as an organization that greatly meets
the criteria for those pledges. 

Since its inception, Five Talents has helped more than 3,000 poor
entrepreneurs and their families in five countries begin to break the
cycle of poverty through small micro-credit and savings programs.
Micro-credit loans as small as US$50-200 make an enormous difference in
the lives of subsistence entrepreneurs, and the average Five Talents
loan recipient is supporting 4-6 other people (family members and
employees). Existing programs in India, Uganda, Nigeria and the
Philippines are being augmented by new programs in Bolivia, Honduras,
Kenya, Tanzania and Indonesia. 

For more information or to make a donation please visit:
www.fivetalents.org

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