Christian Leaders to Challenge Candidates on Hunger, Poverty  ...1 of 1 >
photo 1 of Circle of Protection press conference
(l to r) Fr. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA; Rev. Sekinah Hamlin, director of the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World; Jim Wallis, founder and CEO of Sojourners; Rev. Carlos Malavé, executive director of Christian Churches Together; and Galen Carey, vice president for government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals.

Jan. 15, 2015 -- A group of Christian leaders today announced an effort to make hunger and poverty issues in the upcoming presidential campaign.  One hundred Christian leaders, organized under the Circle of Protection, have signed a letter that will be sent to presidential candidates as they announce their candidacies.  The letter asks each candidate to "produce a three minute video teling the American people what you would do as president to offer help and opportunity to hungry and poor people in the United States."  [press release]

"This has to be a top priority." - Jim Wallis

Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, said the objective is "to reach out to all the serious candidates...in a rigorous and fair way."  Jim Wallis, founder and CEO of Sojourners, noted that, "The state of the union is not good for a lot of people."  "This has to be a top priority," Wallis said.  Galen Carey, vice president for government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals, cited Psalm 72, and said that "silence on poverty is inexcusable."  Several of the speakers noted that "churches and charities can't do it all."  Rev. Carlos Malavé, executive director of Christian Churches Together, stated "the quality of life of poor people will not be elevated by charity alone."

Although there has been a lot of maneuvering by potential 2016 presidential candidates in recent weeks, there are as of yet no formally announced major candidates.  Circle of Protection is moving early to see that the issues of hunger and poverty are among the first questions the candidates face.
photo 2 of Circle of Protection press conference
photo 3 of Circle of Protection press conference
photo 4 of Circle of Protection press conference
photo 5 of Circle of Protection press conference

photo 6 of Circle of Protection press conference
In Sept. 2012 the two major party nominees, former Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, made three-minute videos for Circle of Protection (>), but overall during the course of the campaign the issues of poverty and hunger were largely pushed to the margins in the broader discussion about jobs and the economy.  A speech on poverty by Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential nominee, at Cleveland State University on Oct. 24 did get a fair bit of attention.  Ryan, who recently announced he will not run for president in 2016, has continued to advocate for an overhaul of the federal government's anti-poverty efforts, although his approach has its critics (1, 2)  Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016 candidate, has also delivered a major speech on the subject (+).
back >
photo of David Jeffrey and Jim Wallis after Circle of Protection press conference
Commissioner David Jeffrey, national commiander of The Salvation Army, talked with Jim Wallis after the press conference.