Following the recent managers' workshop in the Philippines, Prime Bishop Ignacio C. Soliba wrote to the ECLOF International chairman, Rev. Prof. Christoph Stückelberger.

Dear Prof. Stückelberger,

Thank you for finding time to come and address the ECLOF International managers' workshop in La Union, Philippines. Your presence inspired the ECLOF International managers, as well as the Geneva and local staff.

As you said when you were with us, ECLOF was conceived to help Europe recover from its devastation from the second world war. It is a blessing to the rest of the world that ECLOF did not cease its activities after Europe recovered. Instead, ECLOF extended its coverage and ministry to the whole world, thus giving fair credit and enabling those who are down, and those who have lost hope slowly to develop themselves and become assets to society.

We thank ECLOF for its ministry in the Philippines, especially to our people and churches in the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), of which I am the current chairperson. From a humble beginning of one room and one member of staff, ECLOF Philippines has grown and now has regional offices and 52 staff. We look forward to the day when ECLOF Philippines can serve the whole country. This requires very big funding but, by God’s grace, it can be done.

This world has enough wealth for all but so many people wallow in poverty. If only a little part of this wealth were to be invested in ECLOF, the organization would be able to make a bigger difference among the poor, especially the poorest of the poor.

Investing in ECLOF is more than worth it because it means investing in
the poor so they can, by their own efforts, afford food, shelter, health and education. This is the reason why our church does not invest all of its money, including pension money, in banks and other investment institutions but lends part of it to ECLOF. How good it is to be part of eliminating poverty in this world through ECLOF.

Yours in Christ

+Ignacio C. Soliba
Prime Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines

 

Rev. Prof. Christoph Stückelberger replied:

Dear Prime Bishop and brother

Your letter is an expression of the high commitment of your church, of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and of you personally to ECLOF. At the same time, it is an encouragement to churches in the North to invest in ECLOF in the same way as your churches do. I call on Northern churches to invest, say, part of their pension fund monies in ECLOF. If churches in the Philippines can do it, churches in the North can and should do the same.

Best greetings

Christoph Stückelberger