wfn.org | American Baptist Resolution on Sexual Exploitation

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AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE
Office of Communication
American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director
  E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

UPDATE:  June 28, 1999

GENERAL BOARD/BIENNIAL MEETING UPDATE: June 25, 1999

NEWS FROM THE GENERAL BOARD/PROGRAM BOARDS
Des Moines, Ia. / June 18-21, 1999

AMERICAN BAPTIST GENERAL BOARD AFFIRMS
'RESOLUTION AGAINST SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN'
  DES MOINES, IA.--The General Board of American Baptist
Churches USA, meeting here in semiannual sessions, passed a
"Resolution Against Sexual Exploitation of Children" with a
vote of 119 yes, 1 no and 0 abstentions.
  The resolution notes that internationally "helpless
children are being made victims of the desires and deceit of
adults [and] are exploited as objects of pornography or
prostitution.'
  The statement, in part, calls "upon the entire
American Baptist family to do what is within its power to
prevent and to end the sacrifice of the world's children
through pornography and prostitution by:
  "living a life motivated by Christian love for God,
self and neighbor; working in our communities for the well-
being of children and families; raising awareness...by
identifying agencies, organizations and businesses that
facilitate or profit from child prostitution or pornography;
supporting American Baptist efforts through our mission
agencies to prevent exploitation of children, in part by
dealing with the conditions in our society and around the
world that cause such exploitation...; urging the U.S.
government to develop and enact legislation to protect the
rights of children; ...communicat[ing] to foreign governments
the ABC/USA' support of the U.S. law to end child
prostitution."