wfn.org | All Africa Conference of Churches Calls for Day of Fasting for Zimbabwe

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

www.aacc-ceta.org       Tel: 254 - 20 - 4441483, 4441338/9

> " Fax: 254 - 20- 4443241, 4445835 "
> Email: secretariat@aacc-ceta.org
> General Secretariat: Waiyaki Way,
> P.O. Box 14205, 00800 Westlands,
> Nairobi, Kenya

Call to an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe on January 25,  2009

The 9th General Assembly held in Maputo, Mozambique in December 2008 gave the African churches a strong mandate to continue their longstanding accompaniment of the Church and people of Zimbabwe. The Assembly declared January 25th an African Day of prayer for Zimbabwe.  The call is to join our Zimbabwean sisters and brothers in prayer and in fasting, in words and in deeds, in contemplation and in action.

As AACC we therefore call on all our member churches, councils, fellowships and institutions; all friends in the ecumenical worldwide family; all our international partners and all people of good will to make January 25, 2009, an African Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe.

Trumpet call to Pray and Fast

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet" Isaiah  58:1

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cord of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here I am." Isaiah 58:6-9.

Calling for a Special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe is first and foremost a call for all of us to come to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with a humble heart, in sincere love, spending time with him to get in tune with His sovereign plans and visions for his people and for the world. It's about allowing Him to speak and to share His heart that bleeds for the suffering of our world. It's about allowing Him to convince us to be part of his plan and be willing to act as instruments for his Kingdom - a kingdom of fellowship, peace, justice and reconciliation for anyone who respond to the invitation by Jesus: Come unto me!

Indeed it is a time of need for Zimbabwe

"	The cholera epidemic continues to spread. 37,000 have contracted the disease and 1,800 have died (Jan 12). The health system has broken down.
"	There is shortage of food.
"	The schools have not been able to run properly due to the financial and social crisis.
"	Political violence and intimidation continues.
"	The power-sharing deal of September 15, 2008 has not been honoured and talks have stalled due to lack of sincerity and political will.
"	Official inflation (July 08) was 231 million % but continues to rise by the day. The newly issued 50$bn bill only buys the owner a few loafs of bread.
"	The numbers of political, social and economic refugees crossing the borders to the neighbouring countries are increasing continuously.

In all this the AACC acknowledges that the present crisis primarily is a crisis of legitimacy and governance. As stated by the 9th AACC General Assembly in Maputo on December 11, the present rule must be considered as illegitimate as it was an incomplete reflection of the will of the Zimbabwean people, given that the presidential run-off election in June 2008 was not free and fair and was marred by intimidation and political violence.  The Zimbabwean people have also continuously been denied the peace, justice and socio-economic remedy they have for so long desired.

May the Lord grant Zimbabwe light to break forth like the dawn and healing to quickly appear. May the Lord bless us all as we Pray, Fast for the end to the political crisis and resumption of normalcy in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.

> Rev. Dr. André Karamaga
> General Secretary

> January 15th, 2009