Local churches the ‘key’ to international development

The Church is ‘an essential partner in delivering sustainable development at the heart of the world’s poorest communities,’ a new paper claims. The Tearfund document In the Thick of It appeals to governments and international donors to develop strategies to work with faith groups, recognising that ‘in some places development simply would not happen without the local church’. The paper assembles a substantial body of evidence gained from the agency’s 40-year experience. Tearfund’s chief executive, Matthew Frost, said governments should ‘harness the unique position of church-based organisations’ to give people in poor communities ‘a greater say about decisions that impact their livelihoods and wellbeing’.

Source: Baptist Times (23/7)
http://www.baptisttimes.co.uk/news4.htm