BWA General Council Resolution 1979.1
The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance, realizing that many of the world’s peoples are threatened by starvation — by famine, war and natural disaster which have contributed to their desperate plight — we cannot help but recognize the gospel mandate for Christian people to meet such urgent human need.
Therefore, be it resolved that:
1. We encourage mission agencies and related church bodies to assist peoples to increase food production
and to engage in teaching good nutrition where people are undernourished.
2. We appeal to the nations of the world to expedite the export/import of food, seed, and fertilizer among the developing nations; to increase their budgets for greater relief and development efforts; and to continue to permit duty-free entry of relief supplies to authorized relief agents.
3. We encourage the United Nations and other such international agencies to continue to utilize the non- governmental organizations, including church relief agencies, in the distribution of food in areas of need.
4. We call upon pastors and other leaders to teach and to preach the special responsibility of those who have to reduce their personal consumption, to share, and to pray, so that more of the limited food supply of the world could be made available to those who are hungry;
5. We express the conviction that an efficient relief service cannot be enacted unless peace is preserved on earth. Famine and starvation — among other causes — are a natural consequence of wars. We commend the USSR and the United States for the SALT II agreement, and pray earnestly for its ratification as a needed step. We urge the governments concerned to continue negotiations with a view to the further elimination of armaments, and in particular the cessation of the development of nuclear arms.
Motion by Akande was seconded. After discussion and amendment, the resolution was passed as above.
Citations
Original Source Bibliography: Denny, Robert S., editor. Baptist World Alliance 1979 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory. Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1979.
Original Source Footnote/Endnote: Robert S. Denny, ed., Baptist World Alliance 1979 Yearbook: Minutes of the General Council Meeting and Directory (Washington, DC: Baptist World Alliance, 1979), pp. 50- 51.
Online Document Full Citation: BWA General Council Resolution 1979.1 World Hunger; https://baptistworld.org/resolutions.
In-text Online Document Citation: (BWA General Council Resolution 1979.1).