Looking ahead, 2020 is likely to be an eventful year. In the midst of societal shifts and opportunities, ELCA Advocacy has identified areas of priority for our work together on the federal level. “These priorities reflect ELCA Advocacy commitments for faithful and timely attention to pressing concerns that affect our neighbor’s well-being and the wholeness of creation,” says the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy.

Please consider being part of the ELCA Advocacy network for information and notification when your action matters most. Use ELCA.org/advocacy/signup to sign up, and invite your congregation and ministries to do so as well (sharable invitation posts are available on social media @ELCAadvocacy). Find a reproducible copy of 2020 priorities at ELCA.org/resources/advocacy. ELCA Advocacy is a resource in our church to help bring our faith based voices into public policy dialogue as God calls us into the world to serve together.

2020 ELCA ADVOCACY FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES

In the ELCA we believe that, through baptism, God is calling us into the world to serve together.
We are a church that views governments as helpful ways God is active in our world and that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and public life. When we, as ELCA members, lift our voices together to influence policies that advance the common good, we further God’s work in our world.

Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and the experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, we advocate to end world hunger and stands up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, promote peace and dignity, preserve God’s creation and promote racial justice.

You will find ELCA faith-based advocates meeting with policy makers, taking joint action with values-sharing issue partners, writing letters, making public comments, talking with neighbors, asking questions in town hall meetings — listening, learning, educating and visibly and skillfully asserting policy considerations guided by faith foundations.

In addition to faith-based advocacy organized by local congregations and synods, by Lutheran state public policy offices and by Lutheran Office for World Community representation to the United Nations, ELCA Advocacy is active in Washington, D.C. Following are policy priorities on the national horizon for 2020.

Civic engagement

Anticipating the 2020 U.S. presidential election and supporting the church’s #ELCAvotes initiative, ELCA Advocacy will continue to prioritize policy and practice that increases both government inclusion of and civic participation in our communities.

• GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social policy resolution “Voting Rights to All Citizens.”

  Domestic Policy

Child nutrition programs — Restore, protect and adequately fund school and community-based feeding programs as part of the federal safety net, and oppose efforts to convert nutrition assistance programs to block grants to states which would over time diminish free and reduced-fee meal benefits.

Criminal justice reform — End mass incarceration, promote fairer sentencing and support restorative reentry programs in our communities through federal and state funding and reforms.

Civil and human rights — Safeguard and promote protections for vulnerable populations, including communities who face barriers, unjust treatment or inequalities on the basis of racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, sexual orientation or class identity.

• GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social policy resolution “Advocating for Child Nutrition,” the social message “Human Rights” and the social statement The Church and Criminal Justice.

Domestic Policy: Housing

Budget concerns — Foster bipartisan cooperation and public support for budgeting of federal programs that fund affordable housing and assist people who are homeless.

Shelter and housing reforms — Ensure that the experience of churches and faith-based ministries informs federal reforms and public rule revisions that affect low-income housing programs.

Natural disaster impact — Support federal disaster aid resources and equitable access to recovery programs that assist communities before and after natural disasters.

• GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment” and the social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All.

Environment Policy

Mitigation, Adaptation and Resiliency — Support legislation and policies that address the global impact of greenhouse gas emissions, incorporating the principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability. Impacts and related policy considerations are multifaceted, including food security threats, agricultural challenges, increased health issues, national security and the forced migration of thousands.

Sustainability — Encourage and advocate for important legislation to protect frontline communities and vulnerable populations that disproportionately experience the negative impacts of environmental degradation, including climate-related changes that exacerbate existing racial, economic, ecological and social injustices.

Creation care strengths of ELCA — Amplify ELCA experiential, educational and creation-care value resources, expressing faithful hope for the future, at this time of pressing and wide-ranging environmental concerns.

• GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social statements Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice; Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All; and Genetics, Faith and Responsibility.

International Policy

Federal budget considerations — Advocate for robust support for international antipoverty, humanitarian and global health funding (i.e. HIV/AIDS, malaria), as well as funding for conflict prevention and peace-building programs.

Gender Justice — Strengthen U.S. government capacity to prevent gender-based violence, promote girls’ education, protect women and girls during humanitarian crises, and support the economic and health care needs of women and girls globally.

Peace and Diplomacy — Promote human rights and strengthen conflict prevention and peace-building activities around the world, including bilateral and multilateral initiatives.

• GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social statements For Peace in God’s World and Faith, Sexism, and Justice.

Migration Policy

Plight of children, women and men fleeing the Northern Triangle of Central America — Raise awareness of the challenges and humanitarian stories on the United States’ southern border.

Human rights of migrants — Restore, protect and promote the human rights of those fleeing violence, poverty, environmental degradation or food insecurity, to name a few causes, and urge the relevant governments and ad hoc institutions to protect migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as established under international law, by denouncing policies and practices that exacerbate the risks and discrimination these populations face.

Militarization of foreign aid — Organize against the allocation of funds to militarize the U.S. southern border and the development of practices that compromise the human rights of migrants.

Path to citizenship — Support policy that reinforces Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

• GO-TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social messages “Immigration,” “Human Rights” and “Gender-based Violence.”

How can you get involved?

Become part of the ELCA Advocacy network at ELCA.org/advocacy/signup! You will receive monthly updates on policy activity and be invited to take action at moments when your voice and experience will have an impact.

Find resources for your advocacy efforts at ELCA.org/resources/advocacy and a community with which to engage on social media at @ELCAadvocacy. Together we endeavor to live into our baptismal covenant to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

By Rebecca Anderson, Intern at the Lutheran Office for World Community*

According to the International Organization of Migration, today there are an estimated 271.6 million migrants globally. While migrants are not inherently vulnerable, they can be vulnerable to human rights violations, observes the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR). It is imperative to protect their human rights.**

Migrants are forced to move for various reasons: governmental oppression, war, famine, climate change and better employment or educational opportunities. The list goes on. Of the 272 million international migrants, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2019 data indicates one in seven migrants are below the age of 20, with Sub-Saharan Africa hosting the highest proportions followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, West Africa and North Africa. In these age groups, the dangers of human rights violations are exponentially increased due to vulnerability factors such as education disruptions, food insecurity and sexual violence.

Fatou “Toufah” Jallow, a 23-year-old activist from The Gambia, left her home country temporarily to retain her safety after experiencing sexual violence until she could return to seek justice. She spoke of her experience on a youth delegate panel I heard at “Celebrating Human Rights Day: Youth standing up for human rights” hosted on Dec. 10*** by OHCHR. In his introductory remarks at the event, Assistant Secretary-General Andrew Gilmour spoke to the “sustained and sometimes ferocious pushback against the entire global human rights agenda that we haven’t seen before.” He highlighted growing “hate speech and prejudice” towards migrants and minorities.

Migration also has gender dimensions that must be considered. In a 2019 report by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to the Human Rights Council, Felipe González Morales emphasized this and highlighted the need for migration to be understood as a “gendered phenomenon,” enabling member states to better protect the rights of migrant women and girls from gender-based discrimination, abuse and violations at each stage of their journey. Migrants need ensured access to basic services – education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene – and social protection.

As Christians, we all have a common identity as children of a loving God who calls us to reflect love outwards, acting in compassion for our fellow neighbor. The ELCA and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have been welcoming migrants and refugees for decades. During the negotiations for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), Lutheran Office for World Community championed migrant human rights. We are members of the NGO Committee on Migration and the Civil Society Action Committee that monitor UN events and meetings on migration and advocate for the full implementation of the GCM and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Migrants are our sisters and brothers in need of our compassion both as individuals and as a community. As Lutherans, we work with migrants from all around the world with aid, respect and inclusivity. We extend our embrace to those of us who must flee from dangerous situations or seek out a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Migrants deserve a life of dignity and freedom to enjoy their inalienable human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

* The Lutheran Office for World Community is a joint ministry of the ELCA and LWF. Staff actively participate together with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in various UN meetings and consultations.

** Read more in the ELCA social message on “Human Rights” which notes that “staggering numbers of God’s children have not experienced [human rights] advancement” (page 1).

*** Human Rights Day is observed annually on December 10 to celebrate the anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This momentous document sets out fundamental universal human rights that are to be protected worldwide regardless of race, ethnicity or culture.

By guest blogger the Rev. Kaari Reierson, contractor for ELCA corporate social responsibility program

Many of us have money socked away in pension funds, saved for education or invested for retirement. We probably thought pretty hard while we were saving that money, but how much do we know about where it is now? What do these investments produce and by what means? Through pension funds or personal investments, we may be supporting corporations which act in good faith and employ best practices, and we may be supporting business activities which harm people and the environment.

Personal ownership of shares gives you economic power as an investor and opportunity for exercising stewardship.

“The biblical understanding of stewardship is that what we have does not ultimately belong to us. We are called to be stewards of what God has given for the sake of all. This stewardship includes holding economic, political, and social processes and institutions responsible for producing and distributing what is needed for sufficiency for all.” ELCA social statement on Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, page 11

Shareholder votes can encourage best practices by corporations, affirming good corporate citizenship and forward-thinking financial decisions. The next time your shareholder resolutions arrive, look closely. Are there requests for reports from the board that seem fair and reasonable? Are there requests that the governance of a corporation be inclusive and transparent?

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of the ELCA encourages corporations through shareholder and other activity to act in socially and environmentally responsible ways.

CSR develops standards for individual and institutional investors that align with ELCA social teaching. There are some products and services the ELCA advises against investing in at all because of the harm they inflict on people and the environment. CSR maintains investment screens found from elca.org/csr regarding: alcohol, community development, the environment, gambling, military weapons, political and civil human rights, pornography, private prisons and tobacco. CSR issue papers explore social issues as they pertain to corporate behavior and illustrate the kinds of shareholder resolutions that ELCA social teaching could support, which can also be found from elca.org/csr.

Portico Benefit Services, which provides retirement, health and related benefits for those who serve through the ELCA, offers Social Purpose funds that are invested in line with the ELCA’s mission.* Through ownership of stocks, Portico signs on to shareholder resolutions, issues its own requests to the Boards of Directors and participates in corporate dialogues.

Stewardship means using all we have been given for the good of all. The CSR program does this on behalf of the ELCA. CSR tools, including the new CSR Overview resource, can help you do this for yourself as well.

* Before investing in any fund, you should carefully consider its target asset allocations, investment objectives, risks, charge and expenses. All funds, including ELCA funds, are subject to risk and uncertainty. Past performance cannot be used to predict future performance. ELCA funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Fund assets are invested in multiple sectors of the market. Some sectors may perform below expectations and lose money over short or extended periods. See the ELCA Investment Fund Descriptions for more information about our funds.

Neither Portico Benefit Services nor the funds it manages are subject to registration, regulation or reporting under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or state securities laws. Members, therefore, will not be afforded the protections of those laws and related regulations.

By Ruth Ivory-Moore, Program Director for Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility

The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) gets underway in Madrid, Spain today, and an unprecedented number of people from the ELCA are present as part of an ELCA Advocacy delegation – including Lutheran state public policy office directors, young adult leaders, global companions and members of the Lutherans Restoring Creation network. Negotiators and civil society observers meet annually at conference of parties (COP) conferences to hammer out resolutions to remedy, mitigate and adapt to a warming climate. Despite being in a crisis situation, where severe weather patterns are intensified and disaster damage and loss of life are more frequent, we must and can turn this around.

This moment in time involves using all tools at our disposal with a recognition that our human existence is interlinked with all of creation. “Lutherans are called to listen to the cry of the Earth along with the anguished cry of every broken soul so that we assume personal, ecclesial and public leadership in addressing both human justice and Earth justice together,” reads “Why Lutherans Care for Creation.” We are equipped at COP25 to use God’s creative wisdom to take stock of where we are now and where we need to be and to devise plans to wisely steward our place caring for the earth.

Days at a COP are long. Side events, displays and key speakers draw participants to opportunities for engagement and collaboration as well as learning. Lasting and collaborative relationships will be formed and strengthened with our neighbors, whether geographically in Pennsylvania, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa or Asia-Pacific. There are no boundaries to the devasting impacts of a warming earth, be they wildfires out West or historic flooding in Venice, or be they ecological system changes such as migrating species from moose to microbes. Knowing we are living into our role as stewards of creation energizes COP encounters with unparalleled enthusiasm.

Two youths who spoke at an interfaith climate emergency consultation in New York City in September 2019 implored us to think of caring for the earth not as a movement but as part of who we are. The resource, “Why Lutherans Care for Creation,” asserts: “For Christians, care of the Earth is not an ‘environmental cause.’ Rather, it is central to our holy calling to treasure the Earth and to care for it as our common home, fully integrating creation-care into our love of God and neighbor.”

ELCA participants bring another core conviction to COP25. While the environmental impact of a warming climate is dire, hope triumphant over despair is central to our tradition. As the ELCA Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice social statement reminds us: “We testify to the hope that inspires and encourages us. We announce this hope to every people, and witness to the renewing work of the Spirit of God.”

from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director

EXTENDED SNAP COMMENT PERIOD  |  PARIS AGREEMENT WITHDRAWAL  |  GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY ACT  |  PEACE IN SOUTH SUDAN  |  CREATION CARE WEBINAR

ADVOCATES RESPOND DURING EXTENDED SNAP COMMENT PERIOD:  When new information from the Department of Agriculture was highlighted, estimating that more than 800,000 students access to free and discounted meals if a proposed rule change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was adopted, Lutherans used an extended comment period to express their opinions.

The proposed rule change to “categorical eligibility” of extremely poor communities would terminate SNAP access for nearly 3.1 million people. Thank you for your response through the ELCA Advocacy Action Center. We will continue to monitor the situation and report updates.

PARIS AGREEMENT WITHDRAWAL REACTION:  Religious and community partners are deeply concerned by the United States’ formal withdrawal from the Paris Agreement as announced Nov. 4 by the Trump administration. Global cooperation is required to address this critical moment in time. Future generations will live with profound impact of the actions we take today.

“We see the despoiling of the environment as nothing less than the degradation of God’s gracious gift of creation,” reads the ELCA social statement “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice.” Caring, serving, keeping, loving, and living by wisdom, the statement continues, sum up what is meant in Scripture witness by acting as God’s stewards of the earth. ELCA Advocacy staff and partners will be at the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in December and will continue working with faith-based actors addressing climate change together.

GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY ACT COMMITMENT:  In the wake of more pandemics, such as HIV, SARS, Avian flu, Ebola and Zika, more action is needed from the global community to address the health care needs of our communities. If passed, the bipartisan Global Health Security Act of 2019 (H.R. 2166) would revitalize U.S. government commitment to advancing global health security.

H.R. 2166 would strengthen U.S. commitments under the Global Health Security Agenda, a multilateral initiative launched in 2014 to build countries’ capacity to manage infectious disease threats and elevate health security as a global priority. An Action Alert in the ELCA Advocacy Action Center is available to facilitate messages of support to legislators.

SUPPORT FOR PEACE IN SOUTH SUDAN:  For the past six years, a power struggle among different political and military factions in South Sudan has subjected its people to a high level of violence. Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, and millions have been displaced. In late October the U.S. Senate introduced a resolution (S. Res. 371) to reaffirm U.S. government support for South Sudan.

The resolution calls on parties to ensure implementation of the September 2018 agreement between the factions, including formation of a new transitional government. Additionally, the resolution encourages the U.S. Secretary of State and the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development to continue providing humanitarian assistance to South Sudanese and work with other agencies to hold corrupt officials and human rights abusers accountable. ELCA Advocacy thanked senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Todd Young (R-IN) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) for their leadership.

WEBINAR TO EXPAND ELCA CREATION CARE:  The ELCA is responding as stewards of God’s good creation, and we need more #CreationCareAmbassadors to spread enthusiasm and information and to help strengthen our response. You can learn more on Dec. 11 from the free webinar “ELCA Caring for God’s Creation Today: Pass It On!”

The moment is now. The opportunities are many. The resources exist and are expanding. Learn about what’s happening and how you can make a difference, through this webinar hosted by ELCA Advocacy and our ecumenical collaborator, Blessed Tomorrow, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Maybe being a #CreationCareAmbassador is for you. Let’s pass it on! Registration info from facebook.com/pg/elcaadvocacy/events/.

Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

What do you expect to hear in the forthcoming 365 days as we approach the 2020 national election? Do you clench up a bit – anticipating rancor in the airwaves, on screens… not even excluding at coffee shops, dinner tables and perhaps even Fellowship Halls?

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was among those who helped shape “Golden Rule 2020: A Call for Dignity and Respect in Politics” out of concern about the polarization in our country by emphasizing the applicability of Christian ethical principles to our political discussions. “We believe that we can find guidance through this national dilemma in the teachings of Jesus,” reads a Statement of Support joined by the ELCA and several other Christian denominations and organizations. It continues:

“In particular, we believe that Jesus’ command to “do unto others as you would have the do unto you” should be taken seriously by Christians who engage in political activity. We also believe that if enough people follow this ‘Golden Rule’ principle, it will help generate the respect and civility we so desperately need in our country.’”

“When our tone is automatically uncivil and it’s automatically accusatory, how can we ever hope that we’re actually going to communicate with somebody else if we’ve already belittled and accused them?” said the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, in a Religion News Service article (10/31/19) highlighting that civility is not mutually exclusive to speaking out against injustice.

Bishop Eaton drew present applicability in the article from Martin Luther’s explanation of the eighth commandment in the Small Catechism: “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.”

On November 3, 2019 and in the year ahead, congregations and individuals are invited to pray for the healing of the divisions in our country and promote the use of the Golden Rule in our own political discussions and election activities in 2020. Resources affiliated with the Golden Rule 2020 movement include a #ReviveCivility pledge from the National Institute for Civil Discourse plus games and activities such as “Media Literacy for High School Students” and an one-on-one discussion guide.

Christians have differing theological and political views. The Golden Rule can give us guidance when we need to come together to solve our common problems.

By Tessa Comnick, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow

In a world where 820 million people go hungry, there never seems to be a lack of opportunity to support our neighbors. However, sometimes there’s an obstacle discovering how to show that support in ways that provide effective and lasting solutions. Thanks to the generosity of ELCA World Hunger, the three of us are able to take part in a 12-month transformative journey that combines leadership development and faith formation with impactful advocacy that moves us toward an end to hunger and a just world where all are fed. We are elated to be part of the third cycle of the ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellowship in 2019-2020 and to introduce ourselves in the ELCA. 

~ J, Nicole & Tessa

Tessa Comnick

Tessa Comnick is serving in Washington D.C. as the Hunger Advocacy Fellow with ELCA Advocacy there. She comes from Cleveland, Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in English from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio and a master’s degree in Global Environment, Politics, and Society from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The granddaughter of an ELCA pastor, Comnick has attended an ELCA church since she was born and is immensely touched by the support of her home congregation, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Westlake, Ohio. She is grateful for this opportunity to explore her passions for food security and waste reduction, along with the opportunity to expand her knowledge in other areas such as environmental economics and climate induced migration. Comnick is a staunch believer that good things will come in our future, in altruism as a society and in Cleveland sports.

J Hatcher

J Hatcher is serving as the Welcoming All Program Coordinator for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy in Richmond, Virg. Hatcher earned her bachelor’s degree from Laidlaw College in New Zealand and master’s degree in Conflict Studies from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, specializing in the effects of conflict on migration and displacement. Spending the last 13 years living in Korea, New Zealand and Ecuador, Hatcher developed an intimate look at several of the world’s many and varied communities. She has a passion for building awareness and recognition of systemic violence and its tangible effects on displaced persons.

Nicole Newell 

Nicole Newell, working at the Lutheran Office for Public Policy – California in Sacramento, joins this year’s ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows’ cohort with a background in non-profit work, advocacy and teaching, both domestically and abroad. Her focus on food justice has led her to work in kitchens and on small-scale farms to develop context for sustainable food practices. With a bachelor’s degree in Practicing Theology from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., Newell has a love for Lutherans and served with Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Washington, D.C. from 2015-2016. She grew up in Des Moines, Iowa but was born in Sacramento. Newell is eager to use her passion for the intersection of faith and justice to effect policy-level change in California.

from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director

PROPOSED SNAP RULE CHANGE | AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL | INTERFAITH CLIMATE CONSULTATION | YOUNG ADULT HILL VISITS

THIRD PROPOSED RULE CHANGE TO SNAP BENEFITS ANNOUNCED:  On Oct. 1, the United States Department of Agriculture proposed another rule that would cut SNAP benefits, this time by a total of $4.5 billion over five years. The cut would result from changes in how states take households’ utility costs into account in SNAP benefits determination. ELCA Advocacy opposes this new proposed rule.

Lutheran advocates have already submitted public comments pertaining to previously proposed changes. In the period through April 2, ELCA Advocacy network participants opposed time limits on food benefits. In the period through Sept. 23, participants opposed categorical eligibility elimination for SNAP benefit determination. Additional opportunity for response by the ELCA Advocacy network is in development.

AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL:  Since September 2018, congressionally allocated U.S. aid has been redirected from hospitals in East Jerusalem to other projects. Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) and the other members of the East Jerusalem Hospitals network are critical to the region’s health care and well-being. ELCA Peace Not Walls asks advocates to urge lawmakers to reverse this unilateral policy decision.

AVH is owned and operated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and several other member churches of the LWF. Without international assistance, Augusta Victoria and other hospitals in East Jerusalem face cuts to services. AVH is unable to make minimum payments to pharmaceutical suppliers of cancer medication and is currently running out of vital medication to treat its patients. Learn more from PNW.

ROBUST AND INSPIRATIONAL INTERFAITH CLIMATE CONSULTATION:  Organized by the ELCA and planning partners, “Climate Emergency: Faith-based Organizations Raising Ambition — Leaving No One Behind” drew representatives from more than 45 groups, including World Council of Churches, Islamic Relief, AME Zion Church, and the Buddhist and Catholic faiths. The consultation, held Sept. 24, amplified the momentum of the UN Climate Change Summit and youth-led actions around the world.

The consultation featured inspirational opening and closing prayers, robust discussions and a passionate report from two student activists who were instrumental in the massive youth mobilizations in New York and around the world on September 20. The consultation is preparing an action plan that reflects the discussions held.

YOUNG-ADULT FAITH LEADERS MAKE HILL VISITS:  An advocacy day for young-adult faith leaders was co-hosted by ELCA Advocacy, Bread for the World, Church World Service and other ecumenical partners in the last week of September. The participants, including ELCA young adults, met with their members of Congress to urging support of foreign assistance development and humanitarian funding.

Lutheran seminary student Whylie Cook said of the event, “It was absolutely humbling to work with fellow young people of faith who came together and sought bipartisan support advocating for foreign assistance funding, which assists the most vulnerable and marginalized around the world. Our common faith values coalesced into a formidable force and illuminated God’s intending of abundant life for all, ‘on earth, as it is in heaven.’”

Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

By guest blogger the Rev. Lamont Wells, President of the African Descent Lutheran Association

The sidewalk alongside 116th Street was filled with hungry consumers lined up to purchase that very popular chicken sandwich from Popeyes as I left my local gym. (I had tried the tasty sandwich the weekend before and realized it might really help me with my fitness goals.) I paused and watched the line grow longer and overheard various conversations and pontifications about community changes that were occurring in Harlem, especially due to gentrification.

While I listened, a young male said aloud, “I haven’t registered to vote yet!” Many of the things that concerned those in line were happening as a result of political decisions from elected officials. Then I heard my inclination to get involved. I thought to myself, “We could do something about that – today.”

I ran upstairs to my condo and grabbed a handful of voter registration applications leftover from a previous drive. The young man was in about the same place in front of the crowded restaurant when I got back, and I introduced myself as a concerned neighbor who wondered about some of the same things I had heard earlier. We exchanged names, and I asked Chris if he knew the voter registration deadline was approaching very soon. Using the application I gave him, he completed it and was ready to mail it that day.

Chris and I approached others. Within a two-hour period, about 11 people waiting in line for a sandwich were registered to vote, and many more received information about their polling places and eligibility.

These are some of the things I learned:

1. Observe and listen for opportunities to engage your local community. Seize those moments.
2. Know the deadlines for voter registration.* Set benchmarks and registration goals.
3. Obtain necessary supplies: pens, clipboard and applications.
4. Introduce yourself and be ready to tell why voting matters.
5. Review each application’s completion and mail in timely manner.
6. Be ready to educate voters on important issues or refer them to a local register-to-vote hotline.

I took advantage of a captive audience that I overheard cared about many community matters but were not participating in the voting process that could impact elected officials who support their best interests. (I also didn’t judge the desire for this chicken sandwich that made people endure such long lines.)

Voters and potential voters need to know how the political process works, why their vote is important, and what is at stake if they don’t vote. I have often been tempted to disengage from the political process, but as a person of faith who is dedicated to creating a just world for all, I know I/we must be involved. Our Christian faith is infused with hope and our Lutheran witness is built on a foundation of action. That’s why I am so glad to help those in my community get prepared to change the world around them.

* Learn about local voter registration deadlines from www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/.

from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C. — the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director

“GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS.” SUNDAY | INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS BUDGET | PUBLIC CHARGE RULE COULD STOP BENEFITS TO LEGAL IMMIGRANTS | SANCTUARY RESPONSE | AFRICAN DESCENT LUTHERAN ASSOCIATION ACTIONS

“GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS.” SUNDAY: The ELCA Advocacy office is grateful for the many congregations that chose to include advocacy and public engagement in their activities for “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday. This day of service came as Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas and the East Coast of the U.S. and as other communities braced for the peak of the hurricane season, from mid-August to late October. To advance the theme of the 2019 ELCA Advocacy Convening this spring, ELCA Advocacy has provided in 2019 congregations with resources and template letters centered on natural disaster and climate response. Many congregations have elected to use these, and in coming weeks ELCA Advocacy will be collecting their letters, messages and other stories to bundle and send to Congress. Advocates still interested in taking action on disaster issues can check out elca.org/advocacy/actioncenter for an up-to-date list of live Action Alerts.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS BUDGET: In August the U.S. presidential administration indicated that it would rescind $4 billion in unobligated appropriated funds for international programs, which would have disrupted many humanitarian and development projects. ELCA Advocacy and other partners opposed this move, and many members of Congress publicly disagreed with the administration. Because of this combined pressure, the administration eventually withdrew its proposal.

PUBLIC CHARGE RULE COULD STOP BENEFITS TO LEGAL IMMIGRANTS: In August the Trump administration expanded a public charge rule that will stoke fear and increase suffering in immigrant communities. The rule will go into effect Oct. 15, 2019, unless constrained by Congress or the courts. This new policy would impose an unprecedented income test on people seeking legal entry to the United States and deny them entrance if they are judged to be, or judged to likely become, a “public charge” entitled to nutrition, housing or health care assistance. This policy will cause a cascade of negative impacts, increasing hunger, blocking family reunification and severely restricting immigration of people who want to contribute to our nation. On Sept. 24, Interfaith Immigration Coalition and the Interreligious Coalition on Domestic Human Needs will present an interfaith webinar, “Public Charge 101 for Faith Communities,” that will explain more about the rule and its potential impact on the most vulnerable families. ELCA Advocacy participates in both of these organizations, and interested parties are invited to join.

SANCTUARY RESPONSE: In August the 2019 Churchwide Assembly voted to declare the ELCA a sanctuary denomination. A post to ELCA Advocacy’s Facebook page announcing this development garnered rapid and wide response, with over 1,000 shares. Most comments affirmed the vote.“So proud of our church body and leadership for standing up for justice and grace for all,” wrote one commenter. “Thank you for this bold and necessary step.” Additional resources, including a Q&A video and ELCA AMMPARO strategy links, are available from elca.org/sanctuarychurch.

AFRICAN DESCENT LUTHERAN ASSOCIATION ACTIONS: “Seeking justice addressing homelessness and immigration” and “engaging youth through development and advocacy” are among six objectives that were affirmed during the 2019 African Descent Lutheran Association Biennial Assembly in August. ELCA Advocacy staff member Jackie Maddox will serve as a liaison energizing this overlapping commitment. Maddox and Christine Mangale of the Lutheran Office for World Community attended the event, held in Milwaukee, Wisc. Highlights included a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the ordination of black women in the Lutheran church, a discussion on the gift of human sexuality because all Black Lives Matter, and a commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade.

In response to the ELCA’s “Declaration to People of African Descent” (adopted June 27, 2019, by the Church Council), the Rev. Lamont Wells, ADLA president, accepted the apology articulated in the document, stating, “We the people of African descent of the ELCA can receive this apology as a divine mark of repentance that serves as a catalyst for change. … This apology is received because Jesus has shown us the way towards reconciliation.”

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