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PRESS RELEASE – 18 Mar 2013

“LIVINGSTONE STATEMENT”

STATEMENT from

Church Leaders / Representatives in Scotland

on the Bicentenary of the Birth of David Livingstone

Issued subsequent to a meeting of Church Leaders / Representatives

held in the David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre, Mon 11 March 2013

We remember with gratitude the life and witness of David Livingstone who campaigned vigorously against the slave trade during his life time.

We acknowledge that many Christians were slow to speak out against the evils of the Slave Trade and that many were actively involved in it and profited from it. We express our deep sorrow for this.

The legacies of the Slave Trade still continue to be active in the world today and we recognise that women, children and men are trafficked between and within countries and suffer labour exploitation, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude.  

We welcome the initiatives taken by the Scottish Government and others to address human trafficking within our society and applaud the work of many agencies who care for the victims of trafficking.

The Bible places a strong emphasis on ‘welcoming the stranger’ and we encourage all the people of Scotland to make our nation a place of safety, welcome and hospitality for all.

Signatories:

Baptist Union                           Rev Alan Donaldson, General Director

Church of Scotland                   Right Rev Albert Bogle, Moderator of the General Assembly,

                                                & Rev John Chalmers, Principal Clerk

Methodist Church                      Rev Lily Twist, Chair

Religious Society of Friends    Leslie Stevenson, Representative Friend

Roman Catholic Church           Most Rev Philip Tartaglia, President of Bishops’ Conference

Salvation Army                          Lt Col Alan Burns, Scotland Secretary

Scottish Episcopal Church      Most Rev David Chillingworth, Primus

United Free Church                  Rev Colin Brown, Principal Clerk,

                                                & Rev Graham Brown, Moderator Designate

United Reformed Church         Rev John Humphreys, Moderator

For further information, contact:

Br Stephen Smyth, General Secretary, ACTS (Action of Churches Together in Scotland)

stephensmyth@acts-scotland.org

07527 433394