WOLFVILLE, NS—Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) is seeking new ways to be effective in the area of social justice. To that end, former missionary Marilyn Smith has become CBM’s director of advocacy and public engagement. Smith spoke at the Atlantic Baptist Women’s Convention held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, August 21 to 23.

Smith’s new job is to broaden Canadian Baptist focus to become champions for justice at the local, national and international level, as well as reacting to short-term disasters and needs.

Acknowledging that much of the poverty, hunger and injustice are entrenched in the cultural and governmental prejudices, Smith is hoping to add Canadian Baptist voices to other organizations working for comprehensive global justice.

CBM realizes evangelism and community development go hand in hand, Smith says, and emphasizes the importance of “integral” mission. As past director of The Sharing Way, a relief and development department of Canadian Baptist Ministries, Smith sees the necessity for integrating declaration of the gospel with development programs.

“You can’t separate declaration and development,” says Smith. “They go in concentric circles, not side by side. The heart of the Christian faith is intermingled with pursuing justice.”

The foundation of Smith’s message is Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

For that reason, Smith is a vocal supporter of the international “Micah Challenge” (www. micahchallenge.ca), a global campaign by Christians to deepen the Church’s commitment to the poor. It aims to influence national leaders to fulfil their public pledges to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) made in by the United Nations in 2000. If these pledges are met, they would halve global poverty by 2015.

The goals include measurable, time-bound targets addressing poverty and hunger, education, maternal and child health, the prevalence of diseases including HIV/AIDs, gender equality, the environment, debt, trade justice and aid.

CBM plans to speak for the poor and voiceless of the world by working alongside others to encourage public officials (both nationally and internationally) to implement these justice priorities.

“We need to call Christians to a movement for justice,” says Smith. “We need to hold our governments accountable to their MDGs and we also need to hold ourselves accountable by our own lifestyle choices.”

Smith has just recently visited El Salvador, a country struggling with persistent problems of crime and environmental degradation. She points to Emmanuel Baptist Church in El Salvador as a model of a church that has stepped into the fray to fight local injustice and poverty. Because of their stand, one of their leaders was assassinated on the steps of the church in 1998. They know from experience that working for justice is a costly issue.

“What can one person do?” asks Smith. “One person can do as much or as little as he or she wants. The question is, then, what are you prepared to do?”