Campaigning Christians make Blow the Whistle Sunday a huge success
MPs, top Christian musicians and churches across the UK all took part in events to mark Blow the Whistle Sunday on May 20.
Blow the Whistle is a campaign launched by Micah Challenge UK, a coalition of Christians, churches and organisations in Britain which have united to fight global poverty.
They are calling on governments to keep the promises they made in 2000 to alleviate world poverty by 2015. This summer marks the halfway point and the Micah campaign aims to blow the whistle to look at the half time scores.
At the last count 7,819 Blow the Whistle postcards had been sent to the Prime Minister, urging him to ensure those promises, officially entitled Millennium Development Goals, are kept.
Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, attended St Mark’s Church, Kennington, London on Blow the Whistle Sunday. She said: “The Millennium Development Goals are clearly important and the more pressure that is put on governments all over the world the more chance there is that action will be taken to make them happen by 2015.”
At Church.co.uk in central London, musician and activist Andy Flanagan led worship during a Micah Night which included campaigning workshops led by Tearfund and Speak.
Andy, who had just returned from 10 days working in an orphanage in Uganda said: “The night has challenged my heart, mind and body. I've been recommissioned to give my life to the cause of the poor.”
Blow the Whistle is focussing on five key areas - AIDS treatment, water and sanitation, climate change, education and trade justice.
The next Micah Challenge event will be the Blow the Whistle worship service and rally on Saturday, June 2. Meeting at the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster at 11.30am, Tim Hughes will be leading worship and guests will include influential speakers from some of the world’s poorest nations. Christians are urged to join thousands of others at the World Can’t Wait Rally later that afternoon which aims to call on world leaders, ahead of the G8 summit, to deliver on their promises and take decisive action against poverty and climate catastrophe.
Ends
Media enquiries:
Jo Duckles
Micah Challenge press officer
0207 7207 2102 / 07789768040
Notes to Editors:
- Micah Challenge was founded in 2004 and is a worldwide movement of Christians, churches, church organisations and key individuals across 32 countries, with 13 more national campaigns to launch throughout 2007, to make sure that the MDGs are implemented.
- Micah Challenge is named after the Old Testament prophet Micah, Chapter 6, verse 8:
'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God....' - Core members working within the Micah Challenge UK include: African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA), Alpha International / Holy Trinity Brompton, BMS World Mission, Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Today, Evangelical Alliance, Faithworks, Global Connections, New Frontiers International, Oasis, Shaftesbury Society, SPEAK, Tearfund, World Vision UK.
- The media are invited to attend the June 2 rally. Journalists and photographers planning to attend can contact Jo Duckles on the number above.
