Celebrities present bold vision of how the church can end extreme poverty

A group of celebrities and activists have joined forces this Christmas time for a powerful video for international development charity Tearfund. It shows how working through the local church can bring life-changing benefits to some of the world’s poorest communities.

Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh, Friday Night Dinner star Tamsin Greig, climate activist Vanessa Nakate and Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin are among those speaking out about the difference the church can make to those living in poverty.

Actor Adjoa Andoh said:

“As a Lay Reader in the Church Of England, I know how a local church can effectively sit at the heart of a community meeting the need to transform lives. In many communities, Tearfund chooses to set itself within the church’s beating heart where people come together, in order to identify their needs, whether that be to build a school, set up a health clinic or to plant drought resistant crops to cope with climate change.”

Actor Tamsin Greig said:

“In times of crisis, churches are often the first responder after an emergency but they are also there for the long term. As a Tearfund Ambassador I have seen the holistic change brought about by working through churches in the countries I have visited, creating self-sufficiency, changing mindsets and building resilience.”

Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate said:

“With 2.6 billion members, the global Church is bigger by far than any national population or multinational corporation. It often holds a position of influence and can be the voice that speaks truth to power, advocating for the rights of a community.”

Tearfund’s work through local churches involves training pastors to look outwards and meet the needs of their communities, using locally available resources.

Recent research has shown that this process supercharges donations turning every £1 invested, alongside community contributions, into up to £211 of social value.

Tearfund works with 25,000 churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries but has a vision to increase that number to 250,000.

ENDS

For further information please call Jasmine Flagg on 078888 49109 or email [email protected] or for out-of-hours media enquiries please call the Tearfund media team on 07929 339813.

Notes to editors:

Full list of Tearfund Ambassadors and activists in the order they appear in the video:

Adjoa Andoh, actor
David Gyasi, actor
Laura Young, climate activist
Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover
Tamsin Greig, actor
Vanessa Nakate, climate activist
Martha Collison, baker and author
Pete Greig, Founder of 24-7 Prayer

For more information about the positive change that a church in a lower-income country can bring to people’s lives and wellbeing, see the report ‘Local Church, Lasting Transformation’: https://learn.tearfund.org/cct-impact

Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. They tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. Tearfund believes an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org