Bishop joins worldwide pledges to fight poverty

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, is among some 11 other bishops who have pledged to play their part in fighting poverty, as part of a national campaign by the charity Micah Challenge.

The ‘Make Your Promise’ campaign, encouraging people to commit themselves to remembering those in poverty, aims to deliver all the gathered promises to MPs and ask them to prioritise global justice as they set the course for the new UK government. This Sunday on 10/10/10 100 million people worldwide will bring their promises together and pray for a more just world.

Bishop Paul said: “I promise to encourage all the parishes in my Diocese to play their part in striving for God’s justice in their own communities and across the world.” Putting this into practice this month, the Bishop joined celebrations to mark the first anniversary of Fairtrade for Bassetlaw at St John’s Church, Worksop.

After joining in a thanksgiving service with members of the local community on Saturday 2nd October, he enjoyed a Fairtrade buffet, with displays and stalls of fair trade goods.

Vicar of St John’s, Worksop, the Revd Neil Hogg said: “The Bishop joined in our celebrations marking the second year of Fairtrade status for Bassetlaw. His first hand experiences in Africa have shown him what a difference Fairtrade makes to people’s lives, which also enables him to be a passionate advocate.”

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