PAOC / ERDO Focus on Hunger

A Message from David Wells, General Superintendent of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

October brings a change of season, temperature, and the celebration of Thanksgiving – a Thanksgiving that will be like no other.

While we may have limits on the number of family and church members we see this month, and may grieve that, in developing countries the suffering can go even deeper. This is because global hunger is accelerating and is compounded by the onslaught of COVID-19.

135 million people in 55 countries face acute hunger with another 147 million in danger of going into crisis levels of hunger. It is now estimated that with lockdowns, disruptions to food supply chains, economies shut down, and day labour employment curtailed, another 132 million people could face crisis levels of hunger as result.*

Guided by the value of biblical justice, the PAOC increased food programs earlier this year through ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas), our Fellowship’s humanitarian agency. Our food interventions already serve 71,300 people living with acute hunger. Now we have added COVID-19 responsive food distributions, serving almost 36,000 additional people in 40 program locations.

Food is going to be critical over next 24 months for millions of people. It is easy to feel overwhelmed—but the Word shows us time and again what He can do with what we offer sacrificially. The seeds we planted in the spring have grown and been harvested for Thanksgiving. God is calling us during this season of thankfulness and extreme hunger to sow generosity.

Connecting ERDO, PAOC global workers, overseas Pentecostal churches and PAOC churches across our great nation is kingdom work. We can together save lives and begin a trajectory of modelling Christ in a time of great need.

Please communicate the need for financial support to your congregants, and provide the link to ERDO’s online COVID-19 information: www.erdo.ca/covid-19. Here you will see David Adcock, ERDO’s CEO, describing needs in a downloadable video you can share with your congregation.

Thank you and God bless you and your ministry.

David Wells
General Superintendent, PAOC

* https://www.wfp.org/publications/2020-global-report-food-crises