The church leaders, including the Churches of Christ QLD Director Dean Phelan, Catholic Bishop of Brisbane the Most Rev Joseph Oudeman, Salvation Army (South QLD) Second in Command Major Rick Hoffman, Youth Alive National Director Cameron Bennett, and Uniting Church Moderator the Rev Kaye Ronalds took part in one of an estimated 2000 prayer vigils happening across the globe over the week.
"It's exciting to know Christians are gathering in many places this week to unite in prayer against corruption and shine a light for integrity in our churches, businesses and government," said John Beckett, National Coordinator of Micah Challenge Australia.
"Together with brothers and sisters around the world, it is our desire to see transparency in the global financial system. Companies are avoiding paying billions of dollars in taxes by shifting profits to tax havens under a veil of secrecy. This is money that could be used by developing nations to fund hospitals, schools and roads."
A year from now the leaders of the world's wealthiest nations will descend into Brisbane to discuss collective responses to global issues, and Australia, who takes on a year-long Presidency of the G20 in 2014, will play a key role in setting the agenda of what gets discussed and decided.
Prior to the prayer vigil at Wilson Outlook Reserve in Brisbane on Thursday night, Tim Costello (CEO of World Vision) and Gershon Nimbalker (Advocacy Manager of Baptist World Aid) led a meeting with the church leaders on behalf of Micah Challenge to discuss how they could best use this opportunity to make sure the voices of the global poor are heard at the G20.
"We know that God has a deep concern for the poorest in our world. The G20 presents Christians in Australia with a unique opportunity to speak up for justice in our global economic system," said Mr Nimbalker.
"It is a chance for us to make sure the global tax system works for the poor. It is a chance for us to address inequality, and ultimately to save and improve the lives of millions who are suffering."
Micah Challenge Australia's Shine the Light campaign will seek to ensure that issues of transparency are high on the agenda for consideration by the G20 next year and will seek to channel the voices of more than one million Christians across Australia and around the world into the G20 process.
For more about Micah Challenge Australia's Shine the Light campaign visit www.micahchallenge.org.au/shine-the-light.
For more about the global Exposed campaign visit www.exposed2013.com.