Jesus Bus to raise economic justice awareness in hard-hit US state

By Chris Herlinger

New York, March 5 (ENI)--Inspired by the spirit of International Women's Day, women from many nations will take a Jesus Bus in June through the hard-hit U.S. state of Michigan to highlight the connection between justice and the economy.

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches says that it is calling on churches to recognise the gifts of women, to celebrate the fruits of their labour and to increase efforts to remove barriers to equality and partnership on 8 March, International Women's Day.

In a statement on 4 March, the alliance said that in June around 250 women from 100 countries will witness the impact of the financial crisis on the American city of Grand Rapids when they take the Jesus Bus sponsored by local churches.

The women, members of Reformed and Presbyterian churches, will be meeting from 14 to 17 June in the northeastern U.S. state of Michigan, a centre of the auto industry where many people have come to learn personally what job loss, homelessness, and hunger mean.

The theme of the event is: "Come with Jesus to the Streets", the Geneva-based WARC said.

The Grand Rapids-based Reformed Ecumenical Council and WARC are co-sponsors of the event, which will precede the Uniting General Council in Grand Rapids from 18 to 26 June of the two Reformed church groupings to forge the two into one organization.

"Inviting women to witness and to engage with the Grand Rapids reality is in keeping with women's responses to WARC's Accra Confession, which emphasises the importance of connecting the realities of economics and our different locations in any conversation about faith and gender justice," says the Rev. Paulette Brown of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, one of the event organisers.

Fifteen years ago, women who gathered for the fourth Women®s World Conference in Beijing, China, issued a Declaration and Platform for Action, calling governments to accountability regarding their commitment to the advancement of women.

While this has further strengthened the work of governments and civil society with more women in parliaments and better gender equality legislation, gender justice is still a long way from reality.

"For many women, freedom from hunger, rape and other forms of violence, atrocities of war, conflict and natural disasters; the right to justice, security, wellness, self reliance and life in fullness remains a significant struggle," says the Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, who coordinates the gender justice work at WARC.

The general secretary of WARC, the Rev. Setri Nyomi, a Ghanaian Presbyterian, said, "The alliance pledges to continue its commitment to gender justice and partnership and seeks to be a communion where justice for women will not be compromised, but will be advanced with renewed energy of both, women and men." He said the alliance has a gender awareness programme for men, "to enable them to be partners with women and to promote positive masculinity".