Evangelicals leading the way to abolish human trafficking
OTTAWA, ON—Churches across Canada are hearing the echoes of Scripture as they respond to human trafficking.
"Awareness of human trafficking is increasing across the board," says Julia Beazley, policy analyst for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC). "This is an issue the Christian community is really taking up. Increasingly, I'm hearing of denominational initiatives, local church networks and individual involvement."
Winnipeg MP Joy Smith introduced her bill to combat human trafficking in the House of Commons in October.
"Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for sexual exploitation or forced labour or other forms of slavery," she told fellow MPs. "Human trafficking is nothing short of modern day slavery."
As evangelicals learn about human trafficking, the biblical call to justice and mercy is informing their response.
"A sense of biblical justice drives evangelical involvement," says Beazley. "This flows from our calling to defend the cause of the vulnerable and exploited, to bind up the broken-hearted."
Jeff Stafford agrees. He knew almost nothing about human trafficking when he was asked to chair a conference in Kingston last May. Kingston Transformation Network, a network of local churches, planned a conference on human trafficking around the visit of The Salvation Army's international director for the Social Justice Commission, Christine MacMillan. The stories they heard and the information they learned through the conference galvanized their local church network into action.
"It's not an option for Christians to not be involved," Stafford explains. "God wants us to set the oppressed free. I really don't think there are any people more oppressed."
In one sense, this is not a new issue for evangelicals. As Beazley explains, "Evangelicals have been on the ground doing the work for years. The Church has been there, helping children escape prostitution and forced labour. This experience informs and encourages the broader church's action on public policy."
More than a century after opening "rescue homes" in London, England for women and girls escaping prostitution, The Salvation Army in Canada reports it "is part of a revived movement for the abolition of human trafficking and forms of commercial sexual exploitation."
The Salvation Army has held a Canada-wide weekend of prayer for human trafficking each September since 2006. The Salvation Army in B.C. opened Deborah's Gate in 2009, one of the first safe houses in Canada for survivors of human trafficking.
The National Women's Ministries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada are committed to the abolition of prostitution. It launched the Defend Dignity initiative in June, sending information and DVDs to more than 400 C&MA churches. In its official statement, the group commits to abolishing prostitution by raising awareness and taking action against sex trafficking.
"As a whole denomination, one of our main objectives is to focus on justice and compassion. We've done that globally but we need to pull up our socks locally," says National Women's Ministries chair Glendyne Gerrard.
"It seems that this is God's issue for our day. We've seen such amazing things happen," she adds.
One of these things is partnership with other churches across denominational lines. In Saskatoon, Lawson Heights Alliance Church is partnering with Cornerstone Church and Lighthouse Supported Living.
Churches are building on evangelism and compassionate outreach, to include policy and economic changes.
In Winnipeg, says Gerard, "Cornerstone Alliance Church has led 50 girls to Christ, working with Union Gospel Mission. Now they are looking into a second phase to help keep them off the street, with things like job-training."
This is an area where evangelical interest and action are part of a broader societal consensus. The government has committed to develop a national action plan to combat human trafficking. The EFC released a report in October with recommendations for such a national strategy.
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