At its recent general assembly in Uppsala, Sweden, delegates for ACT Alliance elected new members to its board of governors. The board provides governance to the organization between assemblies. Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo, director of World Renew Canada, was one of those elected to a four-year term.
World Renew, the relief, rehabilitation, and development organization of the Christian Reformed Church, has been a member of ACT (Action by Churches Together) Alliance since its founding in 2009. The alliance is a coalition of 150 churches and church-related organizations working together in more than 125 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of people who are poor and marginalized.
Kaastra-Mutoigo, who has served in her World Renew role since 2006, said her responsibilities on the ACT Alliance board will include two full board meetings per year, and, as she is also serving on the seven-member executive, a further four meetings with that body. In a speech she delivered at the assembly about her hopes for her role on the board, Kaastra-Mutoigo said she felt excited: “This is an alliance that focuses on the church and its role at all levels, from community to international level.” She expressed thanks for gifts God has given her that can contribute to the success of the board, adding, “I am used to and enjoy the challenge of managing in complex systems, having worked and lived in cross-cultural contexts for decades.”
ACT Alliance facilitates ministry in three targeted areas: humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy. Its current commitments, set forth in the recent assembly, include protection of people on the move, gender justice, and ecumenical and interfaith relationships and action.
Kaastra-Mutoigo said regional and country level forums of the alliance can also choose to advocate for justice on issues that are specific to their region. “These forums also foster greater quality in programs, as members network and share expertise and sometimes even secondment of staff,” she said.
Related article: The Banner published a profile story on Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo in 2016.
About the Author
Alissa Vernon is the news editor for The Banner.