Community of Christ Sends Representative with
Interfaith Delegation to Afghanistan
Community of Christ peace and justice minister Kathy Bachman is
representing the denomination as part of a 15-member
interfaith delegation to Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 16 through 29. The
delegation was coordinated by Global Exchange, “a human rights organization
dedicated to promoting environmental, political, and social justice around the
world,” according to its Web site.
The delegation’s busy itinerary includes visiting a demining site at Halo
Trust, connecting with Islamic Relief (a faith-based humanitarian aid
organization), and planning a culturally appropriate memorial service to be
held in Kabul for all victims of violence.
Updates throughout Bachman’s trip will be posted at on the Peace
and Justice Ministries Web site as well as photos and stories upon her
return to the United States. A statement from church President W. Grant
McMurray that Bachman will share in Afghanistan is also online. He stated,
“As a church, one of our long-held foundational beliefs is that of working
in the forefront of movements and organizations recognizing the worth of
persons. At this time in human history, there is perhaps no place where we
could more fully express that conviction than on the ground in Kabul.”
Outreach
International partnered with the church in providing financial support for
Bahcman's participation in the Interfaith Delegation to Afghanistan.
Outreach is a human development agency dedicated to alleviating the injustice
of hunger, poverty, and disease in the world.
Formerly of Lawrence, Kansas, where her parents still reside, Bachman now
lives with her husband Jeff in Portland, Oregon. She is a member of the board
of directors of Amnesty International USA and a World Church minister whose
focus is on building congregational capacity to promote peace and justice. Her
master’s degree in political science focused on the theory of human rights.
Bachman was the recipient of the International Human Rights Award at the
church’s 1998 World Conference.
