Habitat for Humanity International –Bangladesh (HFHIB) organized a prayer meeting for Christian pastors at the YWCA Conference Hall, Dhaka on 17th September 2008. Thirty-seven pastors and leaders from different Christian denominations and organizations gathered for the prayer.
As Master of Ceremonies, the Volunteer Programs Manager, Mr. Prince Sanjay Saha welcomed all of the participants. The work of HFHIB was then presented to the audience by the Public Relations and Resource Development Manager, Emelda Mullick.
In her presentation on Habitat Bangladesh, she highlighted how HFHIB is working in Bangladesh in its regular ‘Save and Build’ Program, Disaster Response Program, Volunteer Programs and Church Relations Program. She also explained about the plans of Habitat Bangladesh for the 2009 fiscal year.
The National Director, Ms. Kelly Koch welcomed everyone in the room. She especially thanked everyone for choosing to spend their time with Habitat Bangladesh, to pray for people living in substandard housing in Bangladesh. She explained HFHIB’s mission as an Ecumenical housing ministry and the partnership and role that churches can play in the organization.
Rev. Sourave Folia from the Church of Bangladesh conducted the prayer and Pastor Robinson Mondol from the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Bangladesh delivered the sermon. He spoke about the parable of Zacchaeus from the gospel of Luke. As Jesus went and mingled with people from all walks of life, so can the leaders of Christian communities of Bangladesh go out of their circle to reach the poor and show the love of Christ through their work. Rev. Mondol encouraged everyone to come forward and take a step to help the poor.
After the sermon, the Chairman of the Board for Habitat Bangladesh, Mr. Peter Halder thanked everyone for considering HFHIB’s request to attend the prayer and also for their time with Habitat Bangladesh.
The prayer meeting finished with a prayer for people who continue to live in substandard housing and the desire that Habitat Bangladesh will be able to help these people.
Congregations in over 280 churches prayed for homeless people and HFHI at the International Day of Prayer on September 21, 2008. The National Council of Churches in Bangladesh (NCCB) delivered the prayer call of HFHI to its member churches. The Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), The Church of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship (BBF) centrally circulated the message of prayer at the HFHI’s International Day of Prayer to all its member churches. Mr. Subodh Adhikary (General Secretary of the NCCB, Rev. Sourov Folia (Pastorate Superintendent and Principal of St. Andrews Theological College) and Rev. Leor P. Sarkar (General Secretary of BBF), Pastor Dulal Mitra (Dhaka district Pastor of SDA) lead to deliver the message and prayer call to their respective churches. All of these denominations have over 100 houses of worship and churches in the country.
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