Brethren to be represented at G-20 Faith Leaders' Summit.

The Church of the Brethren will be represented at a "G-20 Faith Leaders’ Summit" in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept. 22-23, on the eve of a meeting of world leaders called the Group of 20. Vernne Greiner, a physician and member of the Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board, will attend to represent the denomination.

The summit is sponsored by Bread for the World along with the Alliance to End Hunger and partner organizations. The Church of the Brethren was one of the denominations invited to take part.

"Leaders of the world's richest countries recently pledged $20 billion to reduce hunger," said Bread for the World in a statement on its website at www.bread.org. At a meeting in Italy in July, the G-8 group of nations pledged $20 billion, primarily invested in agriculture, to combat hunger in developing countries.

"The September Group of 20 Summit in Pittsburgh presents a unique opportunity for US religious leaders to raise our concern for the plight of the world’s poor," Bread for the World said. The G-20 brings together major industrialized and developing countries to discuss key issues in the global economy. The countries represented account for approximately 90 percent of global gross national product, 80 percent of world trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population, according to the organization. The faith leaders’ meeting will help represent "the needs of the world’s 1.02 billion hungry people" as the G-20 meetings begin.

Online resources related to the G-20 Faith Leaders’ Summit offered by Bread for the World. Include a small-group study guide titled "The G-20 Pittsburgh Summit: Reflections for People of Faith," and "Bread Notes: Hunger Reaches Record Levels" on the recent increase in hunger around the world. Go to www.bread.org/learn/global-hunger-issues/faith-leaders-summit.html.

Source: 9/7/2009 Newsline Extra