In a united call for economic justice, church leaders, theologians, activists and mission practitioners from around the world gathered in London for a consultation organized by the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM). The consultation, part of the “Turn Debt into Hope” campaign, called for the immediate cancellation of unjust and unsustainable global debt.

Global public debt has surpassed $100 trillion in 2025, while global gross domestic product has only tripled since 2000. Participants emphasized that low- and middle-income countries are most affected, with debt servicing often exceeding spending on health care, education and basic infrastructure.

A communique issued at the conclusion of the event stated:

“While Western nations bail out their banks and corporations, African (including the African diaspora), Latin American, Caribbean, Asian and Pacific countries are urged to tighten their belts and privatize their resources. The message is clear: Some lives matter more than others.”

Dr. Patrick Bond of the University of Johannesburg opened the consultation with an address placing the debt crisis within global political and economic structures. He also drew connections between sovereign debt and the climate emergency, arguing both stem from systems that exploit people and planet alike.

Daimon Mkandawire, mission secretary for ecology and economy and the Africa region with CWM, offered a strong theological and moral appeal for action.

“The twin crises of economic and ecological debt are not disconnected—they are symptoms of the same exploitative system that treats both the Earth and the poor as expendable,” Mkandawire said. “In this kairos moment, the church must rise—not as a passive observer, but as a prophetic community of resistance and repair. Debt cancellation is not just fiscal—it is theological. It is about dismantling the architecture of greed, repairing the wounds of ecological violence, and proclaiming an economy where creation thrives and all life flourishes. This is the mission we are called into—bold, disruptive and life-giving.”

The Right Rev. Anderson Jeremiah, bishop of Edmonton in the Church of England, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the church’s role in promoting economic and social justice.

“The church exists in our contemporary society as the work and instrument of God’s justice,” Jeremiah said. “It ought to be like a sacrament that demonstrates a new, liberated humanity. Any socioeconomic structures that do not align with the demands of human dignity lived in community must be challenged and fundamentally altered.”

The consultation reiterated the role of faith communities in advocating for structural change and drew on biblical teachings to support debt cancellation.

“The cancellation of debt is the prayer of every Christian when they say, ‘forgive our debts, as we forgive those who have debts against us,’” said the Rev. Philip Vinod Peacock, executive secretary for justice and witness with the WCRC. “It is time to live out that prayer in public policy and global solidarity.”

Participants left the consultation committed to strengthening international advocacy and local grassroots action. As the 25th anniversary of the Jubilee 2000 movement approaches, faith leaders emphasized that the struggle for debt justice remains unfinished—and more urgent than ever.