David Duncombe to Preach on Purpose for Cancel Debt Fast
1624 NE Hancock
Sunday, August 12
David Duncombe spent almost two decades as chaplain for the Yale School of Medicine and a lecturer at
He was active in the civil rights movement, and has long been involved in peace and justice protests. In recent years, his activism has taken the form of protest fasts in the name of peace and poverty. In his social justice ministry, he has been arrested almost 100 times and sometimes jailed.
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FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION
Contact: Ray Utech, 901-573-7477 ray.utech@gmail.com
Local pastor to fast for 40 days in the nation’s capital, send-off slated for Sunday, August 12, as part of
Hungry for Justice: Jubilee Debt Cancellation movement ‘s 40-Day National Fast September 6 – October 15
Jubilee
Event: Reverend David Duncombe Send-Off for Jubilee's "Cancel Debt Fast"
Where: Irving Park;
When:
Sponsor: Established in 2000, Jubilee Oregon, a coalition of religious and
community groups, is a part of Jubilee
congregations and 80 religious denominations, faith-based networks,
development and community organizations in the
News/Press RSVP: Jubileeoregon@ gmail.com or call 503-287-7847 or 901 573 7477
PORTLAND, OR – The Rev. David Duncombe, whose water only ‘fast for life’ in 2000 in the halls of Congress convinced people like Jessie Helms and Ted Kennedy to approve debt cancellation measures for the world’s poorest countries, will begin a new fast.
Echoing his statement made then, the 77 year old United Church of Christ minister says now, “I've reached a point in my life in which it's very difficult for me to live on a playing field that isn't level. And it's very difficult for me to avoid the knowledge in my own life that there are millions of starving people and to go about my life as though there were not. I find it very undesirable to eat when other people can't.”
“I believe strongly that as a Christian that we are asked to love our neighbors and particularly people that are at a disadvantage and so this is a window of opportunity to express that. Being a pastor I wanted to do this in a pastoral way so I’ll go from office to office not only to talk about legislations but to try to get to know the staff as people and to understand where they're coming from. I intend to symbolize starvation. I want to do that because a lot of people in Congress -- by no fault of their own -- have never seen a starving person. Their only contact with starvation is that in a very abstract way they know that so many people are starving, but they have never seen it, they have never looked upon it they have never touched it. So I will go back to each office about once a week and let my starving body talk for itself and I hope that my message will get through and lift their consciences."
For additional information and background: http://www.jubileeusa.org/
