wfn.org | Religious Leaders Vow to Work to End Hunger

["NCC News" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Washington, D.C. June 7, 2005 -- With fervor and conviction, religious
leaders from Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Sikh and
Buddhist traditions, urged more than 1,000 participants in yesterday's first
Interfaith Convocation on Hunger at the Washington National Cathedral to
advocate for the end of hunger in the United States and abroad.

"There is a new day dawning in this country. God has made it possible in our
time for us to end hunger," declared The Rev. David Beckmann, president of
Bread for the World, which is one of the sponsors for the "Hunger No More"
event. "This is an age old dream but it is also an urgent opportunity," he
said.

In his keynote address, The Most Rev. Njongonkulu W.H. Ndungane, Anglican
Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, called on people of faith to speak
loudly and clearly to end hunger with the goal of food for everyone being a
human right. 

"We must put all our weight behind the growing momentum for change," said
Bishop Ndungane "Now is the time -- we have an unprecedented opportunity to
make a difference."

Bishop Ndungane also questioned the increasing number of hungry people in the
world while the world economy continues to grow. Calling this phenomenon a
matter of political will rather than lack of resources, he urged participants
not to allow politicians to "escape" without doing something to end hunger.

National Council of Churches' General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar,
Associate General Secretary for Justice and Advocacy, the Rev. Brenda
Girton-Mitchell and Church World Service Executive Director, the Rev. Dr.
John McCullough, were among the national and international religious leaders
who gathered for the event. Also gathered were leaders of several NCC member
denominations including: Bishop George Walker, African Methodist Episcopal
Zion Church; Bishop Mark Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Jim
Winkler, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church; Dr.
William Hobgood, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Bishop Vicken
Aykazian, Armenian Church of America; The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, The
Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. Cliff Kirkpatrick, Presbyterian Church (USA); Rev.
Dr.Stephen Thurston, National Baptist Convention of America; Bishop Lawrence
Reddick, III, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas,
United Church of Christ; Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey, Alliance of Baptists; and Rev.
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Reformed Church in America.

"We cannot be at peace until all of our brothers and sisters in the United
States and around the world hunger no more," Edgar declared.

Contact: NCC News, Leslie Tune, 202-544-2350, ltune@ncccusa.org; Philip E.
Jenks, 212-870-2253, pjenks@ncccusa.org