Human Rights Committee

Commissioned to  "listen to the voice for the voiceless." —Desmond Tutu

In a 2002 survey of fulltime ministers, pastors, Outreach International staff and other church leaders, the Human Rights Committee asked the question:

What should be the top three agenda items of the Human Rights Committee for the next two years (e.g. women's issues, civil liberties, homelessness, sanitation, poverty, water supply, sexual orientation, access to health care, discrimination, war, etc.)? 

 Of the 174 responses, 86 were full-time ministers, 44 bi-vocational pastors, 7 OI staff, and 33 others.  Four respondents did not indicate their role.  The issues that were identified as most important for the Human Rights committee were as listed below.  Please note that the percentages represent the respondents who said this was one of the top three agenda items.  Consequently, the sum total of the percentages exceeds 100%.

Additional priorities were also identified, but received fewer votes.

If the sub categories homelessness, hunger, health care, and water supply were included under poverty and justice, nearly 100% of the respondents would have designated this as the top priority. For this reason, the Human Rights committee will focus on the issue of poverty and economic justice as its first priority for the biennium.