Some really exciting news coming out of Portland, OR! Last week Archbishop Desmond Tutu made time in his schedule to visit with new and old Jubilee activists. Read Pat Rumer's and Annah Sidigu's report from what sounds like an amazing, inspiring, and motivating gathering!
Some words to preface the event from Pat Rumer, Jubilee Oregon board member and Jubilee USA Network Coordinating Council:
"'You never know until you ask' is what Jubilee Oregon learned when we wrote Bishop Tutu's staff in January, 2009 asking if he would stop by and greet long-time Jubilee activists when he was in Portland to lecture at the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Collins lecture series. Well, about ten days before the EMO event, we received a note from South Africa saying that he would come and join us for a few minutes in the morning.
We got busy and called all our Jubilee congregations ( 18 in all) plus 11 member board and a few really die hard activists over the past ten years PLUS staff from Oregon's Congressional delegation who helped us achieve 100% co-sponsorship of last year's Jubilee ACT in the Senate and House. As you can read from Annah's review, it was a great event. So never hesitate to ask..."
Jubilee Oregon Welcomes Archbishop Desmond Tutu!
by Annah Sidigu
Jubilee Oregon was pleased to receive Archbishop Desmond Tutu at our monthly board meeting today. Archbishop Tutu, the father of the Jubilee movement, stopped by on the way to his scheduled engagements to offer a few words of encouragement and reflection.
Archbishop Tutu’s remarks were hopeful and tempered with realism. Emphatic in his belief that no one can win the war against terrorism, the Archbishop also noted that, if we reduced our war expenditure, we could spend more money on feeding the hungry across the world. This, he posited, is not charity nor merely kindness—it is our responsibility if we are to be the good stewards of the world that God has created for all of us.
It seems safe to say that everyone present was buoyed by the Archbishop’s wisdom, humor and humility. Jubilee Oregon thanks Archbishop Tutu and his son, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, and all of the Congressional staffers and member congregation representatives who were present.
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