A distinguished and diverse delegation of US religious leaders will depart for a joint UK-US ecumenical forum on the G8 summit in London on Monday 27th June, according to a press release from Christian News Wire.

The forum comes just days before the high-profile G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland on 4-6 July where leaders of the eight richest nations in the world will gather. As the host of this important meeting, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been greatly urged to press on the other world leaders to formulate policy with an aim to "Make Poverty History" in 2005.

The strong UK-based anti-poverty campaign "Make Poverty History" has organised a massive rally in Edinburgh on 2nd July to highlight the challenge of world poverty. They will lobby the world leaders to adopt three principles: drop the debt, maintain trade justice as well as provide more and better international aid.

Even though previous media reports suggest that US President George W. Bush appeared to be conservative in launching all of these anti-poverty actions compared with the rest of the G8 countries, the joint UK-US ecumenical forum will allow British and American leaders of churches and faith-based organisations to discuss, pray and reflect on lifting global poverty as the top agenda item for the G8 Summit.

Over 35 church leaders, including Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox, will gather at Lambeth Palace, which is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, for the two-day forum.

The trans-Atlantic delegation is expacted to meet with British Chancellor Gordon Brown. The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will host a discussion Forum with the British and American leaders on Wednesday 29th June. A press conference at Lambeth Palace will follow the Forum.

The 15-member strong delegation from the US includes:

Rev. David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World
Rev. Rich Cizik, VP of Government Affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals
Mr. Robb Davis, Director of the Mennonite Central Committee
Commissioner William Francis, International Secretary of the Salvation Army
Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America
Mr. Mark Lancaster, Coordinator, Presbyterian Hunger Program
Dr. Glenn Palmberg, President of the Evangelical Covenant Church
Rev. Ron Sider, President and Founder of Evangelicals for Social Action
Father Andrew Small, Policy Advisor, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Mr. Rich Stearns, President of World Vision U.S.
Rev. Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Coordinator/CEO, World Evangelical Alliance
Rev. Jim Wallis, Executive Director of Sojourners and Convener of Call to Renewal
Bishop Peter Weaver, President of the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops and Bishop of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church
Bishop Peter Rogness, Bishop of St. Paul Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America