To all Member Bodies of CWM Dear colleagues in ministry, The devastation that has hit Japan is of such unprecedented proportion that the whole world is weeping. It is indeed an opportunity for the Church to be in prayer and solidarity with the Government and people of Japan and I issue this statement with the hope that all our member churches will respond with due care and generosity. We have been advised that the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) is undertaking a major mission, in solidarity with its partner churches in Japan, to provide critical support to that country in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. I suggest that all our churches support the PCT in this effort so that its presence and impact may be more meaningfully felt. We are attaching our bank details so that you may send funds to us, which in turn will be remitted to the PCT to aid in their solidarity efforts. Alternatively, you may send your funds directly to the PCT. Words are inadequate to express the emotions we experience in circumstances like these. However, as we mourn this tragedy we are invited to look to God who, though difficult to understand when calamity strikes, remains our refuge and fortress. God’s faithfulness is new every morning, declares the writer of the Lamentations, and it is in this conviction that we are encouraged to stand our ground even when it appears that our security is cut from beneath us. The CWM community shares the grief of those who lost loved ones, those who lost home and property, those who are made physically handicapped, and the many who are dislocated emotionally and otherwise on account of this catastrophe. We pray for strength to endure, courage to overcome and grace to hope. God bless you sisters and brothers and grant you a spirit of generosity towards our sisters and brothers in Japan. Shalom! Sincerely, Collin I. Cowan CWM’s bank details: Bank Name: Royal Bank of Scotland Bank Address: 119-121 Victoria Street,London,SW1E 6RA Account Name: Council for World Mission Account Number: 00237710 Sort Code: 16-01-09 SWIFT Code: RBOSGB2L IBAN: GB83 RBOS 16010900237710 Please note that if you send funds to this account kindly notify both Tim Trimble and Lai Ming Wyers at tim.trimble@cwmission.org and LaiMing.wyers@cwmission.org |