June 25, 2003

Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton, and his wife, Lady Carey, are to continue their work promoting Christian action with the world's poor by accepting the posts of Vice Presidents of Christian relief and development agency Tearfund.

Their visits to Christian communities in more than 90 countries during Lord Carey's decade as Archbishop of Canterbury constantly brought them face to face with poverty and inequality. Lord Carey describes visits to Rwanda and Sudan as turning points in his life.

"We in the west take many things for granted without realising the plight of people in the developing world. During my travels as Archbishop of Canterbury I saw untold misery, destruction and pain. If I had not visited places such as Sudan and Rwanda I would not have believed it," he says.

"Through Tearfund we will be able to continue advocating for justice, peace and reconciliation in support of Tearfund's local Christian partners who are achieving extraordinary results in their work alongside poor people in their communities."

In their new roles, Lord and Lady Carey will continue their long association with the war-torn country of Sudan, where an estimated two million people have died in fighting between forces in the north and south.

Lord Carey said, "I look forward very much to continuing my work with churches in Sudan as they foster steps towards both a just and a lasting peace."

Lord and Lady Carey will maintain a strong interest and involvement with other poverty issues such as the continuing debt burden faced by some of the world's poorest countries. During his time as Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey forged partnerships between churches and the President of the World Bank, James Wolfenson, in order to address issues of debt and development.

Doug Balfour, Tearfund's Director, said, "Tearfund's partners around the world display professional excellence and spiritual passion in their work of poverty alleviation. The support and leadership that Lord and Lady Carey provide in both these areas will be of immense encouragement."

Anglican Communion News Service