Between Freetown and Kenema, Sierra Leone, there is an old dirt road off the main highway that winds its way further and further into the wilderness. Sometimes the holes in the road are half as big as the cars that drive around them. At the end of the 20-minute ride is the village of Makai Sanka, one of the groups in the so-called central cluster of the West Africa Initiative (WAI).
Three ministries with Compassion, Peace and Justice are in Sierra Leone this week to see first hand how work is progressing for the West Africa Initiative, a collaboration of Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP), Self-Development of People (SDOP) and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).
While violence and fear continue to pervade war-torn Syria, Presbyterians across the United States are helping those displaced by the conflict rebuild their lives. Since the war began in 2011, at least 13.5 million people have been forced to leave their homes and seek safety in Lebanon, Jordan, Europe and the United States. The United Nations estimates 400,000 others have been killed in the conflict.
As the remaining residents of Oceti Sakowin camp in North Dakota face evacuation, Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) has issued a call to action, urging people of faith to stand against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. In its statement, PEC says the pipeline desecrates God’s creation and poses significant threats on the Standing Rock Reservation.
A decision by the U.S. House of Representatives to roll back a signature bi-partisan anti-corruption law has Presbyterians and other ecumenical groups concerned about the impact on poverty-stricken countries. Under the anti-corruption rule known as “Section 1504,” or the “Cardin-Lugar Anti-Corruption Provision,” oil and mining companies would be required to publish the payments they make to governments around the world.
Un grupo de líderes religiosos cristianos, judíos y musulmanes se unieron el miércoles por la tarde para expresar su oposición a las órdenes ejecutivas del Presidente Trump sobre inmigrantes y refugiados. El nuevo presidente emitió las órdenes de detener la inmigración aumentando la seguridad fronteriza y restringiendo la aceptación de refugiados de otros países como Siria, Sudán, Somalia, Irak, Irán, Libia y Yemen.
Members of the national committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP), are meeting in Miami this weekend to welcome new members, determine vision for the organization and seek spiritual renewal.
A group of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders joined together on Wednesday afternoon to express opposition to President Trump’s executive orders on immigration and refugees. The new president issued the orders to curb immigration by increasing border security and curtailing the acceptance of refugees from other countries such as Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Yemen.
If you’ve ever been to Montreat, North Carolina, it’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of the mountains, trees and streams. The small community has drawn many visitors for spiritual re-awakening, prayer and a place to call home.
If you talk with people living along the coastline of North and South Carolina, they will be quick to tell you, they’ve had enough rain to last a lifetime. Hurricane Matthew and 2015’s “one-thousand-year rain” have caused some significant problems for many, especially in the Charleston area.
