Letter concerning the situation in Madagascar from three church bodies in the United States

19 March 2002

The Rev. Edmond Razafimahefa, President
The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar

The Most Rev. Remi Joseph Rabenirina
Archbishop and Primate, The Church of the Indian Ocean

Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Antananarivo
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Rabenorolahy, President
Malagasy Lutheran Church

In this season of Lent, we bring you greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ whose sufferings continue even this day in His body in Madagascar.

We greet you mindful of the faithful and united witness of your churches in these troubled times in your society. We press our solidarity with you as you fulfill your prophetic and pastoral responsibilities in the Gospel of our Lord in this time of crisis.

We pledge our intent to accompany you as we address our governments and civil leaders with our concerns for justice and peace, that the will of the Malagasy people expressed in the December elections may be heard. We invite your counsel for how we, your sister churches in the United States of America, may be most helpful to you as you walk with your people in their call for justice.

We are mindful that the ten million members of your churches seek and pray that God's will for all people may be realized. We are encouraging the ten million members of our churches to uphold in prayer your leadership, your church members, and the people and civil leaders in Madagascar. It is a prayer of intercession that justice and peace may prevail for all.

As companions in the Gospel, we remain with you in the fellowship and solidarity of the Holy Spirit who binds us together in our crucified and risen Lord.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America