wfn.org | ‘Hidden' crises in Africa supported by Disciples relief ministry

["Disciples Off. of Communication"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

Date: November 19, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Clifford L. Willis
E-mail: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

99b-77

	INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- "Hidden and forgotten" emergencies in Africa and 
the emotional needs of high schoolers in communities affected by random 
violence were among priorities recently addressed by the emergency, relief 
and development ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

	The Week of Compassion Committee, meeting here Nov. 12-13, endorsed a 
special $100,000 grant for humanitarian efforts in the Sudan and other 
little-publicized crises across Africa. That figure represents 20 percent 
of the WOC Response Fund, according to the Rev. Johnny Wray, director. 

	Wray said endorsing the special grant  "was the single most important 
thing we did." Many of the crises in Africa predate and are more severe 
than those in Kosovo and other European countries, he added. Africa's 
crises  include civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the 
Eritrea/Ethiopia conflict, flooding, drought and civil war in the Sudan, a 
drought in Tanzania, and ongoing instability in Rwanda and the Congo, 
among others.

	The committee hopes the grant will raise awareness among Disciples 
regarding these little-known crises and challenge partner churches to 
assist.

	The Disciples will be a major supporter of a summer camp for high school 
students from U.S. cities where shootings and other violent incidents have 
taken place. The late July camp is based on a model organized for 
survivors of the Westside Middle School shooting in Jonesboro, Ark. 
Students and staff from the Jonesboro school initiated the idea to expand 
the camping project.

	The Jonesboro group has met for two summers at Ferncliff Camp and 
Conference Center near Little Rock. Ferncliff, which is operated by the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), also is slated to sponsor the new group.

	In other action, the committee okayed three emergency grants of $25,000 
each to assist refugees in East Timor, refugees from the war in Chechnya 
and survivors of a recent cyclone in India. The group also approved the 
expenditure of $159,000 for 11 priority projects. These include relief and 
development projects in the Congo, El Salvador, Haiti, Lesotho, Peru, the 
Philippines, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

	The committee affirmed a program budget for $2,076,900 for next year and 
learned that the WOC Endowment Fund now is more than halfway to its goal 
of $1 million by Dec. 31, 2000. A Speedway, Ind., layperson, Bob 
McCallister, was named the new committee chairperson. He succeeds outgoing 
chairperson, the Rev. Jan Ehrmantraut, Lexington, Ky.

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