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Internship to Focus on Advocacy for Poor, Hungry
By Craig Pinley
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 9, 2004) - North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS)
student Adam Phillips is helping the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC)
connect with a large
advocacy organization while completing an internship year as part of his
educational process.
Phillips, a NPTS Presidential Scholar, is an intern for church relations
at Bread for the World (BFW). His assignment is to introduce ECC
congregations to the mission and
ministry of BFW. The ECC is furthering its relationship with the
organization after delegates to this year's Covenant Annual Meeting
approved a resolution encouraging the church to do so.
"Bread for the World is a wonderful organization that allows me to
receive a thorough field education in terms of my interests in
ministries of justice, advocacy and compassion," said Phillips. "As a
'Christian citizens movement,' it is a great mission
that not only helps others become advocates on behalf of poor and hungry
people in the hallways of Congress, it also serves to bring a more
holistic understanding of discipleship.
"I have long been concerned for sustainable economic development and
means of living - the flourishing of all Creation - in the developed and
developing worlds," Phillips continued. "So my internship at Bread for
the World is a continued outgrowth of my
concerns for global justice coupled with my vocation to Christian ministry."
Originally from the Evangelical Covenant Church of Hudson, Ohio,
Phillips earned his undergraduate degree at Ohio State University,
majoring in International Relations. He and his wife, Sarah, moved to
Chicago in the summer of 2002 (his wife taught French at a magnet high
school).
In the summer of 2003, North Park Covenant Church associate pastor James
Amadon, Liz VerHage and director of Covenant World Relief Jim Sundholm
attended Bread for the World's annual meeting. Amadon discovered that
BFW had an internship that he thought seemed suited for him. However,
Phillips didn't think he and his wife would be
interested in moving to Washington D.C. at the time. Phillips was
approached about his interest in the internship by two others on the
North Park campus – Kazi Joshua, director of the Center for Justice
Ministry, and NPTS Prof. Phil Anderson – and he began considering the
internship more seriously.
Last fall, Phillips met with Sundholm and ECC President Glenn Palmberg,
who as an individual has been an outspoken supporter of BFW. Phillips
also interviewed with Kathleen O'Toole, senior associate for church
relations at BFW. He was approved for the
internship last winter and headed to Washington in June. Funding for the
position was made available in previous years through Covenant World Relief.
Before leaving Chicago, Phillips and Amadon helped start a BFW campus
chapter at North Park. The relationship seems fitting for the ECC, which
has had a longtime affiliation with BFW through prominent Covenant
pastors and administrators. "The Covenant's relationship with Bread for
the World dates almost back to the start of BFW in 1974," said Phillips.
It has long been a participant at the denominational level. Covenant
World Relief has contributed to Bread for the World and helped produce its
educational materials. Paul Rees, former Covenant pastor, was a BFW
board member from 1975-80. Tim Ek, former director of Covenant World
Relief, was a board member
from 1995-98 and again from 1999-2001. Sundholm became a board member in
2002 and still serves in that role.
"I had thought about working with a more direct-service organization in
Chicago, some 'on the pavement' type of work," Phillips continued. "I
and my wife were committed to being in Chicago. But I became more
convinced that an advocacy group might be an effective internship. BFW
is a non-partisan organization and we work with whoever is in office (in
Congress). In many respects, those supporting BFW agree to disagree on
many issues because our supporters include evangelicals to orthodox in
faith. But we can all
agree that ending hunger is a Biblical matter."
Bread for the World has been in existence for 30 years seeking justice
as a Christian voice for ending hunger. The nonpartisan citizens'
movement includes 50,000 people of faith, including 2,500 churches and
is supported through 45 denominations and church
Agencies. BFW members help hungry people by lobbying U.S. decision
makers on legislation that addresses hunger in our communities and
around the world. It also brings attention to the media about issues of
hunger and helps educate the public about hunger through its partner
organization, Bread for the World Institute.
For more information on the Covenant's relationship with Bread for the
World, call Phillips at 800-822-7323, extension 304. More about BFW can
be found on the organization's website at www.bread.org.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
