Presbyterian Advocacy Hour focuses on Season of Creation and debt relief for developing countries
Online program highlights need to protect the environment and make global financial reforms
LOUISVILLE — The Presbyterian Advocacy Hour returned this week with a dual focus on the Season of Creation and a Jubilee year push for financial reforms to free developing countries from crushing debts that make it challenging to pay for essential services.
The online program, which was on a brief hiatus last month, featured the Rev. Cindy Cushman, pastor of Corydon Presbyterian Church in Corydon, Indiana, and Eric LeCompte, executive director of the Jubilee USA Network, an interfaith alliance of religious, development and advocacy organizations addressing the structural causes of poverty and inequality.
The hour, presented by the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness in collaboration other ministries such as the Presbyterian Hunger Program, takes place on fourth Wednesdays of the month.
“It’s a product of a variety of different Presbyterian programs, and we're hoping that these monthly gatherings will help to provide the knowledge” for “effective and focused action on some of the pressing advocacy issues of our time, as well as nourishment for your spirit and community building,” said host Catherine Gordon, OPW’s representative for international issues.
The first hour and a brief prayer vigil that followed provided time to focus on the Season of Creation and its theme Peace with Creation. The season began Sept. 1 and continues through Oct. 4.
“It is a special season where we celebrate God as Creator and acknowledge Creation as the divine continuing act that summons us as collaborators to love and care for the gift of all that is created,” Gordon said.
The denomination and partners, such as Creation Justice Ministries, already have held multiple activities to observe the season, but for those who would like to begin incorporating the season into their churches, the Advocacy Hour provided some examples.
Cushman explained how her church has celebrated the Season of Creation with various activities such a multi-week sermon series and blessing of the animals. Reading the Rev. Dr. Patricia K. Tull’s book “Inhabiting Eden: Christians, the Bible and the Ecological Crisis” also has been part of the seasonal observance, as has an outdoor prayer walk that has included scripture, poetry and meditation.
The walk “is a really nice intergenerational thing,” Cushman said. “I think that engages the youth and children more than a sermon does, and when we did the prayer walk this year, our youth really loved it,” especially “walking the labyrinth outside.”
The second speaker was LeCompte, who highlighted Jubilee 2025 campaigns calling for debt justice and financial reforms for communities burdened by unsustainable debt.
LeCompte stressed the importance of faith-based support and urged Presbyterians to go to the network’s website to find the Jubilee 2025 petition, which individuals and organizations can sign to join the call for debt forgiveness for struggling communities.
“It's a vital time right now to be contacting members of Congress to say support global debt relief accountability legislation and accountability mechanisms for the IMF,” said LeCompte, referring to the International Monetary Fund. “We'd encourage people to go to our website, Jubilee usa.org, and there you'll find a petition that over 200 faith-based organizations are moving around the world.”
LeCompte explained that the debt crisis is intertwined with issues related to climate change and to countries’ ability to provide for social services.
He noted that “when a country is in crisis, they're going to exploit whatever resources they have,” and “when we take gas, oil and coal out of the ground" and massive deforestation occurs, "it has a cyclical impact, so not only are those countries being exploited for these resources, it's also driving up the challenges of climate change as well as taking away one of our most precious resources, which are older trees and older plants, which can absorb CO2 emissions.”
He also provided historical perspective, noting that “the vast amount of industrialization and growth in the north that took place, starting in the 1800s by stealing resources from developing countries in the south, consuming them for the past several 100 years in the north, not only spurred climate change, but also created a greater debt for the south,” and “countries were unprepared to deal with climate mitigation and adaptation.”
Turning to a different question, LeCompte expressed concerns about funding cuts, such as those involving the United States Agency for International Development, that he said are negatively affecting health care and other services.
“That health crisis not only will impact economies, but it will also create additional expenses for countries to be able to overcome,” he said.
Furthermore, “we've seen pretty much every major religious body that we work with be impacted from those kinds of cuts” if they relied on such funding to provide services abroad. “The cuts make the crises more extreme.”
The next Presbyterian Advocacy Hour will be Oct. 22 and will focus on LGBTQIA+ concerns. Find more information about the series here.
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