from the ELCA Witnessing in Society office in Washington, D.C.

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: February 2021

COVID-19  |  INTERNATIONAL PANDEMIC RELIEF  |  TPS UPDATE  |  YEMEN  |  WHITE HOUSE OFFICE

POLICY RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IMPACTS CONTINUES:  ELCA advocacy staff is analyzing the new Biden Administration and congressional activity for the new round of COVID-19 legislation while working to ensure that minoritized groups and Native American nations are an important focus in light of our understandings of the disproportionate health and economic impacts the pandemic has had on those of us historically and contemporarily impacted adversely by systemic racism. An open letter to Congress from the Circle of Protection, which the ELCA is part of, asked that the relief legislation addresses the “concurrent crises of the pandemic, economic recession, and systemic racism.” Hill visits on COVID-19 relief are ongoing.

The ELCA Program Director for Housing and Human Services prepared a letter for House and Senate committees, compiling recommendations from multiple service provider partners. Distributed in early February, it highlights the need to invest more in rent relief and housing aid for the most vulnerable in our communities, the work of congregations to address homelessness, and the anticipated looming eviction crisis if Congress fails to act. Use the Action Alert to share your experiences and urge priorities as pressing policy decisions on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are made.

 

INTERNATIONAL PANDEMIC RELIEF – ELCA staff continues to meet with members of Congress to advocate for inclusion of funding for international COVID-19 relief in the next COVID-19 package. A target allocation of $20 billion would be used in various global health programs such as vaccines, PPEs, etc., as well as humanitarian and economic relief.

On Dec. 8, the ELCA joined a letter with other faith groups to then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer calling on that office during this global health emergency to commit to a just and equitable policy toward the development, manufacture, and distribution of a vaccine. The ELCA continues to call on the Biden Administration to remove barriers to vaccine production and promote equitable distribution globally.

 

TPS UPDATE AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT – As part of the ELCA’s engagement on public policy issues affecting immigrants in the U.S. and outside, we welcome news of extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria. Years of conflict and instability have created conditions in the country that prevent their safe return.

There are multiple co-related factors contributing to forced displacement across the globe. In Cameroon, for example, escalating violence across the north-and south-west regions of the country have forced many to flee their homes. These conditions prevent the safe return of Cameroonians in the U.S. The ELCA initiated and delivered a letter on Jan. 20 from over 130 faith leaders and organizations to the Biden Administration on the urgency for designating conditional immigration status to people from Cameroon. It is part of our ongoing engagement with issues concerning Black migrants.

 

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO YEMEN – On Feb. 5, the State Department confirmed Houthi rebels in Yemen will be removed from designation as a foreign terrorist administration. The ELCA had urged this action, as the designation hampered delivery of humanitarian assistance to millions of civilians in Yemen.

Early in January the ELCA signed onto a letter to President Biden and the new Secretary of State urging reversal of the designation made by the Trump Administration and cessation of selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have been traced to use against civilians in Yemen. It is estimated that 80% of the population of Yemen needs humanitarian assistance. The Biden Administration has recently announced a pause and review of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, and avenues of humanitarian aid to Yemen, were 80% of the population needs humanitarian assistance, are again opening.

 

WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF FAITH-BASED AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS – On Feb. 14, relaunching of a White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships by signing of an executive order was announced by the White House. The Washington Interreligious Staff Community including the ELCA signed a Jan. 21 letter requesting the entity’s reestablishment. ELCA staff look forward to meeting with the new Executive Director, Melissa Rogers, on February 19.

The letter read in part: “The voice of the faith community provides an important component in the deliverance, planning and implementation of policy and can inform the writing of legislation. People of faith see engagement with government as a fundamental part of the workings of democracy. The work of government must be wise and compassionate as it pursues policies for the common good. Engagement with the faith community enhances the work of government and enables it to be better informed on decisions to be made.”

 

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Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.
As the new year begins, these state public policy offices (SPPO) share their annual policy priorities. Find a map and full list of ELCA affiliated SPPOs using our state office map.
Learn more about Lutheran advocacy using our new resource, Advocacy 101 For Young Adults 

U.N. | Arizona | Colorado | Florida | New Mexico | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Texas | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin

UN

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y. https://www.elca.org/lowc –Dennis Frado, Director

Changed US policy approach to Israel-Palestine outlined at UN Security Council: At the January monthly discussion of the Israel-Palestinian conflict in the UN Security Council, Acting U.S. Representative Richard Mills outlined how the Biden Administration plans to address the issues.

Ambassador Mills reiterated earlier US policy of support for a “mutually agreed two-state solution, one in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state.” He said that approach “remains the best way to ensure Israel’s future as a democratic and Jewish state, while upholding the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations for a state of their own and to live with dignity and security.”

“President Biden has been clear in his intent to restore U.S. assistance programs that support economic development and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people and to take steps to re-open diplomatic missions that were closed by the last U.S. administration,” Mills added.

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Arizona

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona, https://www.lamaz.org – Solveig Muus, Director

In January, the LAMA policy council identified its legislative policy priorities for Arizona in 2021, the Fifty-fifth Legislature, First Regular Session as below:

1. Hunger and associated food security issues
2. Community-based senior support
3. Fair and Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

LAMA is currently tracking 65 bills that were introduced in January, bills the policy council believes are of interest to people of faith in Arizona. Between the two houses, there are 17 bills on child and youth welfare, 12 on housing and homeless issues, 10 related to civil rights, eight on food security, seven on voting, seven on health care, six on issues of concern to vulnerable adults, etc. In addition to the bills related to our specified policy priorities, we also are watching movements on voting rights, redistricting, vaccine hesitancy and more.

Together with its partner, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW), LAMA sponsored Advocacy 101, and is collaborating with Arizona Faith Network and Bread for the World on a second training session in February. This virtual workshop educates participants on the Arizona Legislature and introduces them to Arizona’s Request To Speak (RTS) bill-tracking system. LAMA’s plans to continue encouraging Arizona Lutherans to sign up for RTS, as it is a super-easy, free way to weigh in and be heard on a bill from the comfort of your home. Or… when times are better, to speak in person at the legislature.

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Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado https://www.rmselca.org/advocacy – Peter Severson, Director

Legislature gavels in, recesses: The Colorado General Assembly officially gaveled in their 2021 legislative session on Wednesday, January 13^th. Two days later, they went into recess until at least February 16^th. As the pandemic continues, legislators will allow the peak of the post-holiday season to hopefully recede before convening to take up the work of the people.

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado will be advocating for bills related to housing, tax credits, and support for people interacting with the criminal justice system, in addition to any follow-on work from ballot measures that passed in November 2020, such as paid family leave.Blessing of the session: Lutheran Advocacy, along with several ecumenical and interfaith cosponsors comprising the Faithful Thursdays team, will be hosting a “Blessing of the Session” on Thursday, February 18 at 12 PM MT. Everyone is welcome at this online blessing! Please register in advance at www.faithfulthursdays.org.

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Florida

Florida Faith Advocacy Office, Florida Council of Churches https://floridachurches.org/advocacy/ – Russell L. Meyer, Executive Director

The Florida legislature is in its committee weeks leading up to the opening of the 60-day legislative session beginning March 2. The governor’s top priority is HB1/SB484. Known as the anti-peaceful protest bill, it ‘felonizes’ those who act violently while exercising their First Amendment right to assemble and present grievances and increases existing penalties for related offenses. The governor proposed the legislation last fall to contain overwhelming peaceful protests for racial justice, but now claims it is needed because of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Considered unconstitutional and unnecessary, the impact of the bill falls heaviest on Black and Latinx Floridians seeking civil rights. Although advanced by party line vote, privately many lawmakers say they would rather focus on addressing the pandemic and the economy. Encourage legislators to protect civil liberties and pursue real solutions to actual problems.

SB48 consolidates voucher scholarships into an ongoing trust fund, automatically increases the number of scholarships annually, and includes them in the formula for funding public schools. Yet private and charter schools do not have to meet the standards of public schools.  Public school funding decreased 30% between 2008-2018, while tax revenue was diverted to voucher scholarships. Across the state, school districts have passed sales tax referendums to make up for cuts in state dollars. Florida needs to fund public schools fully so all students can thrive.

Florida spends over $3 billion per year to incarcerate nearly 100,000 inmates and is the only state without parole. Several reform bills are proposed.

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New Mexico

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- New Mexico
https://www.lutheranadvocacynm.org – Kurt Rager, Director

1^st Session of the 55^th Legislature is underway: The New Mexico Legislature gathers in Santa Fe on the third Tuesday in January of each year.  The Legislature meets for 60-day sessions in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even-numbered years.  The Capital, known as the “Roundhouse” remains closed to the public with the session being conducted entirely online.

As the session continues to progress, legislators, citizens, lobbyists, and advocates have become more comfortable and adept at conducting business through Zoom, as is evident by the less frequent question, “Can you hear me?” Meeting virtually has major shortcomings, such as the lack of face-to-face advocacy, and yet advantages exist as well.  Citizens are participating from communities large and small, rural and urban, all across the state and virtual committee rooms allow for far great attendance.  Chairs of committees have consistently remarked that there are more participants in their virtual meeting room than could fit in their Capital meeting rooms.  Also, LAM-NM can be present and participate in more than one committee meeting at a time.

LAM-NM is equipping our Advocating Congregations and volunteer advocates by providing three training sessions on advocating virtually, and by holding Sunday afternoon mini-legislative updates where experienced volunteers are prepared for upcoming committee testimony.  Unable to meet in person, the annual half-day Issuing Briefing will be held virtually on February 25^th, and the Bishop’s Luncheon has been postponed for 2021.

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Ohio

Hunger Network in Ohio https://www.hungernetohio.com – Nick Bates, Director

The Budget is here! The Governor introduced his budget proposal on February 1st. He introduced a very ordinary budget for extraordinary times. The budget maintains status quo funding for most programs and agencies.

• Create a refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): This will place money into the pockets of low- and middle-income workers – especially those who have had hours cut or lost their job during the pandemic.
• Invest in the Ohio Housing Trust Fund: Our Housing Trust Fund invests into weatherization, homeless services, and affordable housing programs. As we look to build up healthy communities – we need safe, decent, and affordable housing.
• Strengthen our food banks: With an estimated 40% increase to hunger in Ohio during the pandemic, we need to make sure our food banks can continue meeting the needs of hungry Ohioans by buying surplus produce from Ohio farmers.
• Fix School Funding: No longer should a student’s zip code determine their educational opportunities. It is time to pass the bi-partisan agreements to fix school funding in Ohio.

STOP SB 17: The Hunger Network has joined with other advocates in opposition to SB17 which will hurt hungry Ohioans. This legislation will cause confusion in the checkout line for families using SNAP benefits and puts paperwork over people for Medicaid, SNAP, and other services. County offices will be overwhelmed with tracking requirements that will not benefit Ohio or hungry families.

Other upcoming Events:

– Prayers for Ohio elected officials March 4 @ 3pm
– Budget briefing Feb 18 @ 3pm
– Joint Council of Churches Advocacy Day, March 23 @ 9am

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Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- Pennsylvania (LAMPa) https://www.lutheranadvocacypa.org/ – Tracey DePasquale, Director

Before the insurrection in the nation’s capital, Pennsylvania’s Capitol was the scene of turmoil that included the ouster of a presiding officer and refusal to seat a lawmaker at the start of a new session of the General Assembly, signaling heightened partisan tensions. Nonetheless, LAMPa advocates sought bipartisan support for relief for the most vulnerable – particularly related to rent, utilities, and food.

LAMPa said farewell but not goodbye to Program Director Lynn Fry, who began work with United Lutheran Seminary after three years of dedication to the ministry of advocacy.

Staff continued to archive more than four decades of LAMPa’s history, even as they and policy council members innovate for more nimble response to need and greater connection with the service of lay and rostered leaders for advocacy rooted in relationship.

Teaching/Serving the Wider Church: Hunger Advocacy Fellow Larry Herrold helped lead a presentation “Getting Started With ELCA Advocacy” for the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering. His devotional “Identification Beyond Binaries” appeared as an ELCA Advocacy blog in January.

Director Tracey DePasquale participated in the second meeting of the task force developing the ELCA Social Statement on Government and Civic Engagement. She also participated in a panel discussion on advocacy in the ELCA for Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda’s class on Faith-Rooted Social Transformation at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

DePasquale helped lead the Pennsylvania Prayer Service for Christian Unity and participated in the priority-setting meeting of the Penn. Council of Churches Commission for Public Witness on behalf of Pennsylvania’s ELCA synods.

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Texas

Texas Impact https://www.texasimpact.org/ – Scott Atnip, Outreach Director

The Texas Legislature convened their biennial Legislative Session in January, and Texas Impact immediately began resourcing Texans of faith to engage in the process.

The Interfaith Service of Public Witness, which featured ELCA Bishop Sue Briner among other Texas faith leaders, kicked off the session before concluding the month with the virtual four day United Methodist Women’s Legislative Event, with some Lutherans among the 400 attendees. The Legislative Event was a successful test-run for the virtual Texas Interfaith Advocacy Days scheduled for March 6-9.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, online engagement will be more important than ever. To help equip members and congregations, Texas Impact created a “Twitter for Advocacy” series and encouraged members to interact with their representatives online.

Texas Impact continues to recruit Rapid Response Team members to make time-sensitive calls and Legislative Engagement Group members who commit to meeting and partnering with other advocates in their Texas House district to plan and prepare for monthly meetings with their representative and/or staff.

The Weekly Witness podcast during the Legislative Session features a Texas faith leader providing a “Weekly Word,” a guest advocate discussing the “issue of the week” and Texas Impact staff providing a legislative update and action alert. January episodes had record numbers of listeners during the live Zoom recording and in downloads for the month.

In addition, Texas Impact staff have been invited to present at several congregational events as they increase capacity for online programming. Texans of faith are mobilizing in exciting ways to participate with their representatives during this important season of democracy.

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Virginia

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy https://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/ – Kim Bobo, Executive Director

January is a very busy month for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) because it is the first month of the very short General Assembly, which normally lasts only 45 days in the short session. VICPP’s top legislative priorities have all made it through at least one legislative body and are moving through the second one in February. Bills that have proceeded out of at least one legislative body:

• Abolition of the Death Penalty (passed both House and Senate)
• Paid Sick Days for Essential Workers (passed House)
• Minimum Wage for Farmworkers (passed House)
• Environmental Justice Act (passed both House and Senate)
• Water as a Human Right Resolution (passed House)
• Transportation Equity Study (passed House)

In addition, we have been working on a budget amendment to get prenatal care for immigrant women.

VICPP normally holds an Advocacy Day in January.  This year it was a virtual advocacy week that drew 416 participants to four plenaries, 12 workshops, dozens of legislative visits and five prayer vigils around the Commonwealth.

Anyone in Virginia who wants to get more involved in advocating justice in the Commonwealth can sign-up at https://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/email-list/.

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Washington

Faith Action Network https://www.fanwa.org/ – Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer, Co-Directors

Eastern Washington Legislative Conference: FAN hosted our virtual Eastern WA Legislative Conference on January 30 with over 165 people in attendance. We heard from Rev. Walter Kendricks, pastor of Morning Star Baptist Church in Spokane, how we can move “beyond words to do justice”, with a panel discussion and breakout groups following. Advocates then met in workshops by issue topic and heard an update from advocacy organizations about the 2021 legislative session. We finished the day with a virtual tabling fair. Thanks to our partners The Fig Tree, Catholic Charities, Earth Ministry, and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for helping make this a great virtual event!

Interfaith Governor’s Meeting: FAN hosted our annual interfaith meeting with the Governor on February 8, with 20 faith leaders from various traditions in attendance, including all three Synod ELCA Bishops! We discussed issues and bills related to COVID vaccinations, revenue, the Working Families Tax Credit, police reform, housing, the environment, and banning credit scoring in the insurance industry.

Upcoming Interfaith Advocacy Days: FAN is getting ready for our first virtual Olympia-focused Interfaith Advocacy Day on February 11. The structure of our program will be very similar to our in-person events, with opening statements by interfaith leaders and state legislators, a legislative overview, caucus meetings by legislative districts, and workshops on bills from our legislative agenda. Legislator appointments will happen on Thursday and Friday. We look forward to bringing the voices of over 200 advocates to the virtual halls of power!

In Central WA, we will gather on February 20 for Advocacy Day, Moving Past Crisis and Into Action, for a morning of legislative overview, a panel discussion on policies affecting immigrants, and breakout action groups on Poverty, Climate, Redistricting, Healthcare, and Immigration. We will emphasize collective actions we can take to move policies forward, both locally and at the state level.

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Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW)  https://www.loppw.org/ – Cindy Crane, Director

Wednesday Noon Live: Updates on a resolution to eliminate Wisconsin’s mask mandate and its connections to FoodShare, and a Wisconsin COVID bill, plus an interview with Rev. Jonathan Barker, Kenosha, and his fasting for climate justice.

Care for God’s Creation: Our March 18^th virtual advocacy event now has a keynote speaker, Lt. Governor Barnes.  Other speakers include Lutherans Restoring Creation Executive Director Phoebe Morad and Chief Meteorologist Bob Lindmeier. We will begin at 10 AM.  Length TBA.

Criminal Justice: Kyle has created a website for the Raise the Age Coalition.  He continues to lead the whole coalition and one of the workgroups, while participating in the other two workgroups he helped to organize.  He also has made individual contacts with key leaders from the Michigan Raise the Age Coalition that successfully helped to return 17-year-old youth to the juvenile justice system in their state.  Cindy is part of the legislative workgroup.

State Budget: Governor Evers will release his biennial state budget on Feb. 16.  LOPPW belongs to two coalitions that discern and strategize responses to the budget.

 LOPPW’s Priorities for 2021 include the following:  

• Calling for an End to Hunger
• Addressing the Crisis of Human Trafficking
• Caring for God’s Creation
• Supporting Immigration Reform
• Calling for Criminal Justice Reform (focused on juvenile justice)

We view all our priorities through a lens of food and racial equity. We also continue to pay attention to voting issues via a statewide voting coalition.

 

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.
As the new year begins, these state public policy offices (SPPO) share their annual policy priorities. Find a map and full list of ELCA affiliated SPPOs using our state office map.
Learn more about Lutheran advocacy using our new resource, Advocacy 101 For Young Adults 

U.N. | California | Colorado | Kansas | Minnesota | New Mexico |Pennsylvania | Washington | Wisconsin

 

United Nations 

Dennis Frado, Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y. https://elca.org/lowc

LOWC represents both the ELCA and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at UN headquarters in New York. Advocacy through LOWC reflects the work of these bodies depending on whether the context is domestic or international.

United Nations Policy Priorities include:

• Gender Justice– Accelerate the pace towards gender justice, tackle the pervasive gender inequalities and discrimination. Advocate with ecumenical and interfaith partners by urging member states to implement fully the Beijing Platform for Action and other relevant international agreements. Amplify faith perspectives in UN processes, as well as build more coordinated faith interventions for gender justice at the national level.
• Migration– Utilizing a rights-based approach, continue advocating for the promotion and protection of all migrants and their human rights, in accordance with international human rights treaties and instruments. Monitor UN member states implementation, follow up and review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
• Humanitarian issues– Advocate for policies that promote and protect humanitarian response efforts by companion churches and organizations, such as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), through discussions and written messages, when appropriate. Special attention will be given, in conversations with the Security Council member states, to “forgotten crises”. Contact will be maintained with ELCA and LWF staff as well as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its associated agencies. Advocacy collaboration will take place with ecumenical, inter-faith and other like-minded partners.
• Sustainable Development– Monitor efforts by all relevant UN agencies (including the annual High-Level Political Forum) to achieve Agenda 21 (the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs) and keep ELCA and LWF colleagues informed about meetings and other advocacy opportunities.
• Human Rights– Advocate for the promotion and protection of human rights in country specific situations as well as with treaty bodies in coordination with LWF staff. Monitor and participate as feasible in the work of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
• HIV/AIDS– Continue engaging with faith leaders and communities within the Interfaith platform working towards joint actions for access to prevention, testing and treatment services. Advocate and urge member states to address challenges hindering comprehensive responses to HIV in order to achieve the agenda 2030 HIV-related targets.
• Racial Justice– Continue to advocate for racial justice in UN forums. A planned contribution will be in response to the recent Human Rights Council resolution on policing and racism. Continue to lift up the activities of the UN Working Group on People of African Descent, including the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (March 25) and the first International Day for People of African Descent (August 31).

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California

Regina Q. Banks, Director – Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California
https://lutheranpublicpolicyca.org/

Issue Priorities for 2021:

• COVID-19 Response and Recovery. The coronavirus and the serious illness it causes have jumped to the fore to impact nearly every aspect of our lives, including state and counties’ Operations, budgeting, workforce, human services, behavioral health, public safety and economic development were all impacted. In 2020, LOPP-CA helped secure important federal CARES Act funding,  millions of dollars in state Realignment Backfill funding, and a number of options regarding workforce operations, including increased Mental Health Services Act expenditure authority and extensions for counties. LOPP-CA maintained close engagement with Governor Newsom and his Health and Human Services Agency on the state’s reopening plans, the availability of testing, health equity, and a host of other COVID-19 related issues. As the health crisis continues, we will remain available to respond.
• Affordable Housing. The affordability and availability of housing continues to be at crisis levels in California. The housing issue is not only a crisis in its own right, it’s also a main driver of California’s homelessness emergency. LOPP-CA will advocate for funding for affordable housing, including new state funding for construction of homes affordable to households at all income levels. We will continue to focus on implementation of recent housing legislation, including allocation of approved bonds, as well as full implementation of new homelessness programs.
• Extend the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit to immigrant families and communities. These tax credits for families earning low wages are proven to increase economic security in households, help families pay for basic needs such as housing and food, and allow more people to share in the economic prosperity that they help create

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Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado https://www.rmselca.org/advocacy 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado has adopted the following policy goals for its 2021 Advocacy Agenda:

• Ending Hunger: improving SNAP usage rates, encouraging greater participation in nutrition programs for children, and collaborating with allied organizations
• Poverty Reduction: supporting implementation work around paid family and medical leave (passed by voters in November as Proposition 118), protecting access to federal programs, and supporting efforts to make the Taxpayer Bill of Rights more equitable
• Access to Housing: expanding and protecting housing options for low-income households (particularly renters) and extending eviction protections during the pandemic, and ensuring robust services and support for people experiencing homelessness
• Criminal Justice Reform: working on sentence commutation and automatic record sealing efforts and advocating for increased community emergency responses from mental health professionals
• Public Health: protecting health care access as a human right and public good, supporting public safety efforts to reduce firearm-involved deaths, promoting opioid addiction care and treatment, and addressing the ongoing mental health impacts of the pandemic (including anxiety, depression, stress, and suicidal ideation)
• Migrants and Refugees: supporting broader ELCA efforts around sanctuary, asylum/refugee and immigration policies in collaboration with Lutheran service agencies
• Caring for Our Environment: addressing the root causes of the climate crisis, supporting incentive-building programs around renewable infrastructure, and addressing the economic implications of transitioning communities away from extractive energy jobs

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Kansas

Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director- Kansas Interfaith Action https://www.kansasinterfaithaction.org/

Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) is a statewide, faith-based issue advocacy organization that puts faith into action on a variety of racial, economic, and climate justice issues. We are a state public policy office of the Central States Synod of the ELCA. KIFA’s 2021 legislative priorities include:

• COVID-19 relief. People who are suffering from the effects of the pandemic and recession must be protected. In particularly we want to prevent an explosion of homelessness by preventing eviction. The moratorium on utility shut-offs should continue, and in both cases any repayment arrangements should be generous.
• Payday loan reform. KIFA is part of a statewide coalition introducing bipartisan legislation to ease the conditions of short-term, high-interest loans to make them less onerous while protecting the accessibility of short-term credit.
• Medicaid Expansion would help about 165,000 (mostly) working Kansans access affordable healthcare. It would bring millions of dollars in tax money back to the state and help keep rural hospitals open.
• Build economic security for working families through equitable tax and budget policies; improving access to vital family and work support programs; and raising the minimum wage.
• Criminal justice reform. Kansas’s state prisons are overcrowded, with significant racial disparities in enforcement and sentencing. Ways to address these issues include changing the sentencing structure to incorporate treatment, sentencing discretion, elimination of mandatory minimums, restorative justice principles, a focus on reentry, and a focus on decarceration – significantly lowering Kansas’ state prison population through commutations, pardons, and clemency.
• Development of a state energy plan with a goal of equitably decarbonizing our economy by 2050.

KIFA’s advocacy priorities can be found here.

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Director- Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LAMN) http://www.lutheranadvocacymn.org/

Issue Priorities for 2021:

COVID/Health Pandemic Aid & Recovery: The Pandemic exacerbates existing disparities as Black, Indigenous, other people of color, and low-income people are made more vulnerable to health and economic impacts. The pandemic also impacts mental health as cases rise and isolation continues.

LAMN is working to address ongoing impacts of the pandemic through policy work in:

1. Housing: Emergency Housing Assistance, eviction/foreclosures, shelter capacity
2. Mental Health: Accessibility to mental health services
3. Anti-Hunger Programs: Broader & deeper access to nutrition programs
4. Economic Recovery: Emphasis on income equity and job creation within renewable energy

Affordable Housing: Minnesota faces a severe housing crisis, worsened by the pandemic. The availability of housing, especially affordable housing, is decreasing as bars to low-income homeownership like low income and discrimination increase.

Alongside Homes for All Coalition, our agenda emphasizes the following areas:

1. Bonding for more housing stock
2. Several Policy Areas/Reforms (eviction reforms, manufactured home parks opportunities for resident community/nonprofit purchase, discrimination, and more)
3. Funding, especially for areas of emergency need

Climate Crisis & Clean Energy: A significant rise in climate-related disasters, human displacement, and the risk of future pandemics call for finding new ways to adapt and build resilience. Transition to a Clean Energy Economy has been speeding up. Many new jobs are being created in renewable energy industries. Fossil fuel industry workers need new, just employment.

LAMN is working with the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, the 100 Percent Campaign, and other partners/coalitions to:

1. Increase Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard
2. Require clean energy options to be considered before other energy options
3. Ensure a just, equitable transition to renewables for workers and communities
4. (Still under consideration) Improve soil health and carbon sequestration through regenerative agriculture

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New Mexico

Kurt Rager, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- New Mexico
https://www.lutheranadvocacynm.org

Dynamic advocacy during the on-going public health emergency:

Since the onset of the pandemic health emergency, state-level advocacy in New Mexico has lived a theme important to the Rocky Mountain Synod, that of “church becoming.”  Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico (LAM-NM) has repositioned its advocacy awareness and education, congregation outreach, coalition partnerships, and legislative engagement to the variety of virtual formats that so quickly have become our nation’s normal routine.  Since the start of the pandemic, the New Mexico State Legislature has held two special sessions during which the capital was closed to the public and most legislators participated from home or office locations via Zoom.  New Mexico’s 60-day session, which begins in January will be conducted entirely online and LAM-NM will continue to adapt and find new ways to achieve our advocacy goals in this ever-changing climate.

Since our ministry’s start over 35 years ago, the LAM-NM Policy Committee has helped set our legislative and policy priorities.  Due to the significant and on-going presence of hunger and poverty in New Mexico, LAM-NM continues to focus our work primarily on public policies and programs that can have a positive impact on the realities faced by so many.  At its 2020 fall meeting, the committee affirmed six priority issue areas on which our 2021 Advocacy Agenda will focus:

• Affordable Housing and Homelessness
• Family-Sustaining Income
• Hunger
• Health Care
• Tax Policy
• Criminal Justice

LAM-NM anticipates adding to the agenda as opportunities arise, particularly in the areas of redistricting, election reform, and racial equity legislation.

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Director- Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- Pennsylvania (LAMPa) https://www.lutheranadvocacypa.org/

LAMPa’s 2021 Advocacy Priorities include:

• Ending hunger and poverty and addressing their root causes remain top priorities for Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) in 2021. Directing COVID aid to the most vulnerable, preventing homelessness, promoting just and sustainable economic development and achieving equitable education funding are also highlights of the issues agenda approved by LAMPa’s policy council in December. Read more here.
• As the year drew to a close, Lutheran climate advocates testified in support of Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Read some of their stories here, including that of the Rev. Paul Metzloff of Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, who testified on behalf of LAMPa.

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Washington

Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer, Faith Action Network https://fanwa.org/

WA State Legislative Session: The 2021 legislative session began on January 11 and goes through April 25. Due to COVID-19, most of the work this year will be virtual, and FAN will continue to advocate strongly for justice-centered bills that support the well-being of our communities and equity for all. The six main areas of our 2021 Legislative Agenda are:

• Advocating for a Biennial Budget that Reflects Our Values as a State
• Reforming our Policing & Criminal Justice Systems
• Creating Housing Opportunities & Preventing Homelessness
• Addressing Climate Change
• Protecting Immigrants, Civil & Human Rights for All
• Ensuring Healthcare & Mental Health Access

You can find our full agenda at fanwa.org/advocacy/legislative-agenda/. We also have a page of Issue Fact Sheets with more information on each bill: fanwa.org/advocacy/issue-fact-sheets/ and a Bill Tracker so advocates can keep up with the progress of bills during the session: fanwa.org/advocacy/bill-tracker/.

Interfaith Advocacy Days: FAN hosts three Advocacy Days each year. The Eastern WA Legislative Conference “Beyond Words: Doing Justice” will be on Saturday, January 30 and includes a keynote by Rev. Walter Kendricks, a response panel, workshops, and legislative updates. Our annual Interfaith Advocacy Day focused on Olympia is on February 11 and will include information sessions, greetings from elected officials, workshops on bills on our agenda, and legislative district caucuses with legislator appointments on Thursday and Friday. In Central WA, we will gather on February 20 for Advocacy Day, “Moving Past Crisis and Into Action” for a morning of legislative overview, a panel discussion on policies affecting immigrants, and breakout action groups on Poverty, Climate, Voting Rights, Healthcare, and Immigration. We will emphasize collective actions we can take to move the policies forward, both locally and at the state level.

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Wisconsin 

Cindy  Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW)  https://www.loppw.org/

LOPPW’s 2021 Advocacy Priorities:

Care for God’s Creation: Wisconsin Faith Coalition for Climate Justice is the name our coalition decided upon. LOPPW organized the group to address climate and water issues in the next State Budget. Our virtual advocacy event will be held on March 18, and we will organize actions leading up to and following the event.

Criminal Justice: Kyle, our hunger advocacy fellow, has worked with Kids Forward to continue leading coalition meetings to advocate returning 17-year-old youth to the juvenile justice system. This is a coalition initiated by LOPPW. Kyle has helped to organize three work groups to meet outside of coalition meetings.

Health: Advocated for the State Legislature to create a plan to address the pandemic. We signed on to a letter initiated by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference to request that clergy be moved up as a priority group to receive vaccinations.

Anti-Racism: Made a National Council of Churches letter Bishop Eaton signed on to requesting the removal of President Trump from office known. We also sent the NCC petition requesting the president’s removal to our listserv.

Wisconsin State Budget and LOPPW’s Priorities:

• LOPPW is working with two coalitions focused on the Wisconsin State Budget. One focuses mainly on hunger, poverty, and immigration issues, and the other on additional issues. We are also working with the Wisconsin Anti-human Trafficking Consortium to strategize addressing budget items and separate proposed legislation.

By Kyle Minden, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow*

David is calling out to God in Psalm 86 to protect him from his enemies and from the other dangers he faces. David humbles himself before God and asks for deliverance from persecution and suffering. There are a lot of passages in Scripture that point to this sort of response to the prospect of suffering – and for good reason. We should reach out to God when we face obstacles and burdens.

TEXT Psalm 86 – “…You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all day long…” (v. 2-3)

Like most of us, I have reached out to God many times over the past year to help me wrestle with grief, stress and exhaustion. That helps. But I think if you only read Psalm 86, you may get an incomplete picture of responses to the challenges and tragedy we face in our world today. Faced with suffering, Jesus acted.

 

Jesus in the presence of suffering

The Christmas story, for example, tells us of a time when the people of God were waiting anxiously for their deliverance. God’s people, having suffered through slavery, exile and persecution, called out to God for a Messiah. But when Jesus arrived, their Messiah wasn’t necessarily what people were expecting. Jesus was not a mighty king who would slay their enemies and eradicate suffering for God’s people. Jesus instead came as a teacher and a healer. Jesus healed and taught God’s followers to also look out for those who were poor, sick or on the margins of society.

I think we all have a tendency to depend on God’s ability to protect and heal, but we may skim over Jesus’s instructions for how we should all look out for each other. When there is suffering, we should call out to God for comfort and deliverance from suffering, but we must also act for those suffering as well.

A natural disaster is a tragic event that requires our prayers and laments to God. But reversing the ongoing climate crisis is a vital step to mitigate future disasters. After a school shooting, “thoughts and prayers” are only one side of a coin; following Jesus’s call directs us toward policy to help prevent future bloodshed. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we should call out in anguish to God; we truly need our faith in these trying times. But we must also do our part by wearing a mask, staying physically distanced and providing adequate funding and support including for frontline workers, scientists and healthcare systems.

 

Gifts and tools

I firmly believe that God’s guiding hand leads us out of tragedy, comforts us in our grief and even defends us against the burdens we cannot see. But we cannot call out to God for help without also utilizing the gifts and tools God has already given us to make change.

God gave us the scientists who plead with us to wear masks. God gave us climate change researchers of its causes and prevention. These are only a few examples. God has given each of us unique gifts and talents to make our world a better place.

Equipped with our gifts and tools, we must respond to Jesus’ call. We may cry out, but we need not only stand by and wait for God’s intervention. Followers of Christ must also act.

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* This New Year Devotional Series has been composed by the three ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows serving in 2020-2021. “The ministry of ELCA World Hunger involves young adult engagement in conversations and formulating solutions to this systemic and universal obstacle to physical and spiritual well-being. Hunger is one of the key issues we must address as a church, for injustice and inequity are consistent themes across our local and global food systems. One way to address hunger and ensure young adult involvement in the ELCA and in World Hunger’s faith-based work is by funding the Hunger Advocacy Fellowship (HAF) position, a year-long contract position designed to cultivate the leadership of individuals looking to halt the expanding reach of hunger through advocacy,” describes Taina Diaz-Reyes, Hunger Advocacy Fellow in D.C.

Kyle Minden is the Hunger Advocacy Fellow at Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin. He graduated from Wartburg College with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Business Administration and a Minor in Social Entrepreneurship. His interests in advocacy come from a desire to address systemic problems like poverty and hunger, income inequality, immigration reform and criminal justice reform. Growing up in the ELCA has taught him the importance of service as a demonstration of faith. He hopes to go to law school and become an attorney for the public interest following this fellowship.

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

President Biden’s decision to re-join the Paris Agreement cannot be overstated in its importance for the United States and internationally. The detrimental effects of climate change resulting from global warming impact every corner of the world, impacting all sectors, putting a strain on existing social, environmental, health and economic systems, and negatively impacting sustainable development in every country.

“Instead of being stewards who care for the long-term wellbeing of creation, we confess that we have depleted non-renewable resources, eroded topsoil, and polluted the air, ground, and water. Without appropriate environmental care, economic growth cannot be sustained” from the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All (p. 15).

In Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, the ELCA social statement reads, “We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are deeply concerned about the environment, locally and globally, as members of this church and as members of society” (p.1). The following shares some background about what the Paris Agreement (Agreement) involves. While the language of the document uses references like “civil society” and “NGOs,” it means “all hands on deck.” People of faith and our congregations and communities are invested in caring for creation, and we will demonstrate our concern locally as well as in policy advocacy to face changes needed to confront the trends bringing us to this climate crisis which our nation and world must address. “We see the despoiling of the environment as nothing less than the degradation of God’s gracious gift of creation” the statement continues (p. 2).

 

Aims of the Paris Agreement

The Agreement is a product of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). For the first time in 2015, all nations came together “to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries… As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.” The Agreement strengthens the collective global effort to keep the global warming temperature below 2oC above pre-industrial levels. Global warming is causing significant environmental degradation. Climate change impacts lead to more severe and frequent weather patterns and melting ice caps resulting in sea level rise to increased flooding.

The Agreement aims for all countries to make commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), financial resources, reporting, and review to increase its commitment (ambition) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning the world economies to zero carbonization by 2050 is paramount under the Agreement and is essential for sustainable development. But as recent as 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) commissioned by the UNFCCC found that the temperature needs to be 1.5°C or lower through its research.

The year 2020 was to be a time under the Agreement when the U.S., along with other countries of the world, raised ambition to address climate change. That is, each country should have been increasing its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But instead, the U.S. found itself withdrawing from this vital pledge.

 

Sustainable development aims

Sustainable development cannot occur until a transition to a net-zero carbon economy is a reality. The IPCC reported that “limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.” Specifically, “Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050.” This transition requires financial mechanisms and innovation in all sectors.

For example, measures should be in place to address energy efficiency in buildings in all businesses and nonprofits and in residential facilities in addition to all equipment and appliances. This is one of the places our congregations can demonstrate mindfulness of the ripples of our decisions in the bigger picture. Implementing energy efficiency measures can help a congregation reduce its operating expenses as well as improve sustainability.

For new construction, state and local governments should adopt construction codes that adhere to stringent energy codes. There should be a national just transition program that allows individual states and localities to develop their implementation plan to reach net-zero by 2050 without leaving anyone behind. The federal government should spur the transition to renewable energy by continuing with tax incentives. Congress should pass comprehensive infrastructure legislation that improves, revamps, and constructs new (where needed) electric transmission, distribution, and storage, providing for the necessary integration with state and local officials’ inclusion. Rural America must be included, focusing on broadband accessibility, and identifying agriculture sustainability. The incorporation of nature-based solutions is crucial.

 

A special responsibility

Human capital and participation are essential for reaching real sustainability. There must be urgent and assertive action by all to eradicate any barriers to participation, including but not limited to biases, whether race, gender, generational, or disability. Policy development must include diversity in participants and in disciplines such as impacted persons, lawmakers, civil society, and corporations, to name a few. Provisions and procedures must ensure that civil, environmental, and human rights are protected. Additionally, the U.S. must re-engage in the climate action process at home and globally. President Biden’s decision right after taking office to re-join the Agreement was a crucial step. The U.S. must be at the table leading and working alongside our international neighbors, for we are all interconnected and must be part of the solution.

The challenges are daunting. But we have inspiration, commitment and creativity. “God’s command to have dominion and subdue the earth is not a license to dominate and exploit. Human dominion (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 8), a special responsibility, should reflect God’s way of ruling as a shepherd king who takes the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7), wearing a crown of thorns” (p. 2-3).

“With the start of the 117th Congress and a new administration, and as the devastating COVID-19 pandemic influences our lives and shapes our concerns, we face pressing need for national policy action. Yet even with changes, as Christians in the world our engagement is consistently shaped by our love of one another as God loves us.

‘Over time Lutherans have learned that energetic civic engagement is part of their baptismal vocation, both as individuals and through the church’s corporate witness. Such civic participation is not simply voluntary, idealistic, or altruistic. The ELCA holds to the biblical idea that God calls God’s people to be active citizens and to ensure that everyone benefits from the good of government (Jeremiah 29:7, Romans 13:1-7).’ from the ELCA social message on “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy”

“Presented here are federal policy priorities for ELCA advocacy activity in 2021. As our nation and world face unprecedented challenges, we expect the first part of 2021 to be a flurry of legislative and regulatory activity. In this arena, Lutherans will express our commitment to addressing heightened hunger, climate changes, poverty, economic hardship and racial and gender disparities in the U.S. and globally. We look forward to working with the new administration in promoting unity and healing in our country. And we look forward to working together as your ELCA advocacy staff and in a network of engaged people of faith.”

– the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy

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2021 ELCA FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES

In the ELCA we believe that, through baptism, God is calling us into the world to serve together. Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and the experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, we advocate to end world hunger and stand up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, promote peace and dignity, preserve God’s creation and promote racial and gender justice.

You will find ELCA faith-based advocates building relationships 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 (UN), the ELCA is active in Washington, D.C. Following are policy priorities on the federal horizon for 2021 (also available as printable pdf).

DOMESTIC POLICY | DOMESTIC POLICY: HOUSING | ENVIRONMENT POLICY | INTERNATIONAL POLICY | MIGRATION POLICY | MIDDLE EAST POLICY | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | GETTING INVOLVED

 

DOMESTIC POLICY

Hunger and poverty – Urge nutrition investments in COVID-19 legislation and address racial and ethnic disparities in food insecurity nationwide. Restore, protect and adequately fund child nutrition programs, ensure access to paid family and sick leave, and advocate to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for low-income families. Urge increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour so that working families can meet basic and fundamental needs.
Criminal justice reform – Address racial bias in criminal legal and carceral systems by promoting fairer sentencing; and support restorative reentry programs in our communities through federal and state funding and reforms. End mass incarceration, address racial bias in criminal legal and carceral systems, 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 communities who face barriers, unjust treatment, violence or inequalities on the basis of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation or class. Support action to address historic injustices, including a Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans and a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policy.
Healthcare – Expand healthcare access to poor- and low-income families and remove race-based barriers to healthcare for communities of color to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Monitor and engage with policy response to opioid addiction and COVID-19 public health crises, including equitable access to vaccines that doesn’t replicate systemic racism and other cultural inequity.

• • GROUNDING – ELCA social teaching resources include the social statements Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor, Freed In Christ: Race, Ethnicity and Culture and The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries.

 

DOMESTIC POLICY: HOUSING

Budget concerns – Increase shelter, housing and development budget resources with a special focus on rural development, HIV/AIDS housing assistance, and affordable housing for seniors.
Infrastructure – Advocate in anticipated infrastructure overhaul planning inclusion of low-income household considerations and housing development.
Fair housing and civil rights – Reverse implementation of harmful regulation policies that enable racial and gender discrimination and promote policies that further address disparities in access to safe housing.
Disaster response – Improve federal programs that manage community rebuilding after natural disasters and uplift recommendations of impacted churches and ELCA ministries in public policy consideration.

• GROUNDING – ELCA social teaching resources include the social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment” and the social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All.

 

ENVIRONMENT POLICY

Creation care – Advance policies geared toward bridging ideological divides while addressing the impacts of environmental degradation. Advocate for comprehensive energy, greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and adaptation legislation for reaching carbon neutrality.
Climate and environmental justice – Promote policies addressing the interconnectivity of environmental, economic and social issues that advance strategies for remedying historic and eliminating future systemic biases and injustices impacting vulnerable communities.
Sustainability – Advance policies and legislation calling for a better quality of life today without shortchanging future generations. Incorporate build back better principles associated with environmentally caused disasters. Promote best practices in rural and urban communities and agriculture sustainability. Advocate for climate finance and migration policies, infrastructure upgrades and development choices providing thriving energy choices and smart technologies.

• • GROUNDING – ELCA social teaching resources include the social statements Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice and Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity and Culture.

 

INTERNATIONAL POLICY

Foreign assistance – Include budget funds and appropriations for international development, humanitarian and health programs, including international COVID-19 relief and vaccine access, and encourage efficient and effective program implementation of U.S. aid for our global siblings. Expand debt relief and encourage investment in human needs.
Conflict prevention/peacebuilding – Promote critical investment in civilian conflict prevention and peacebuilding activities, and support prohibition of U.S. arms sales and oppose proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Gender justice and human rights protections – Advocate for policies that promote gender justice and rights-based implementation of international programs to meet the needs of women, girls, and other marginalized populations.

• GROUNDING – ELCA social teaching resources include the social statement For Peace in God’s World and social message “Human Rights.”

 

MIGRATION POLICY

Rights of migrants and refugees – Advocate for an immigration system that prioritizes human rights, justice, family unity and reunification. Promote access to domestic programs, as well universal COVID-19 relief and vaccines. Strengthen Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and temporary protected status (TPS), in addition to pathways for gaining permanent legal status and citizenship.
Enforcement and detention – Advocate for immigration detention and enforcement reforms and support community-based alternatives to detention. Denounce the militarization of the border and externalization of policies that exacerbate the risks and discrimination faced by migrants.
Asylum and refugee systems – Reverse regulations that prevent those fleeing violence and persecution access to protection. Strengthen protections for migrants at high risk of violence and trafficking. Advocate for restoring and rebuilding the United States’ historic leadership in refugee resettlement.
Foreign policy and climate threats – Insist that trade, development and disaster-recovery projects proceed with meaningful consultation with affected communities. Coordinate with local stakeholders on climate resiliency strategies to address climate migration.

• GROUNDING – ELCA social teaching resources include the social messages “Immigration” and “Gender-based Violence” and sanctuary denomination action of the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

 

MIDDLE EAST POLICY

Inclusive approach – Ensure that all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian are respected and included in negotiations towards a just and lasting peace based on international law. This means reengaging with the Palestinian Authority, allowing for a reopening of Palestinian representative offices in the United States as well as the U.S. Consulate in East Jerusalem and ensuring unimpeded access to consular services for Palestinians.
Settlements – Restate the U.S. position that settlements are illegal under international law, halt further Israeli settlement construction Clarify that U.S. policy does not recognize illegal Israeli settlements. Impose consequences on the Israeli government for future settlement activities it authorizes or undertakes.
Humanitarian actors – End politicization of humanitarian aid. Resume funding to the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and other UN and humanitarian actors working in the West Bank and Gaza. Work with Congressional leaders and the Administration to ensure funds appropriated for humanitarian programs in the West Bank and Gaza (e.g., Augusta Victoria Hospital) are obligated.
Ensure accountability – Hold the Government of Israel accountable for use of military assistance that violates the human rights of Palestinians, such as the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, the detention of Palestinian children in military prisons, the violent repression of peaceful protestors, and demolitions of Palestinian homes and communities. Calls will be made for ensuring that no U.S. funding to Israel is used for these purposes. Call for re-evaluation of military aid to the Middle East region which does not need to be more heavily militarized. Urge an end to punitive visa bans, family entry bans, and asset freezes on select officials of the International Criminal Court. Stop similar actions against those participating in investigations of Israeli government practices that deny human rights.
Occupied territories – Reiterate the U.S. position that the occupied territories are subject to international law and are not recognized as parts of Israel. Reverse U.S. government policy which recognizes Israel’s annexation of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and occupied East Jerusalem and has supported Israeli annexation of significant portions of the West Bank. Establish policy to ensure that products made in Israeli settlements and industrial zones in the occupied territories cannot be labeled, “Made in Israel.”
Freedom to speak and act – Make clear that criticism of the Government of Israel, including support for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions actions, is constitutionally protected and legitimate speech. Oppose anti-Semitism as well as efforts to conflate it with prohibitions on speech critical of Israel and other actions making it illegal to speak in support boycotts, divestment and sanctions.
Other regional issues – Support efforts to respond to other regional issues, e.g., ensure humanitarian aid to Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen and stop the war in Yemen. Support the U.S. rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, the Permanent Five UN Security Council Member States, Germany and the European Union.

• GROUNDING – ELCA Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine (2005) and subsequent Churchwide Assembly actions; ELCA social teaching resources include the social statement For Peace in God’s World and social message “Human Rights.”

 

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Dialogue in the public sphere – Raise awareness of presence and priorities of houses of worship and social ministries situated in every congressional district and county across our nation wherein Lutherans are free to serve with and for our neighbors in vibrant civic life.
Election security and voter access reforms – Uphold pressing voting rights and share civic engagement tools such as holding registration drives, aware of historic and contemporary voter suppression in electoral process participation.

• GROUNDING – ELCA social teaching resources include the social message “Government and Civic Engagement: Discipleship in a Democracy” and social statement Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective.

 

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. Middle East policy information and networking is available from ELCA.org/peacenotwalls.

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 Taina Diaz-Reyes, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow*

Paul, as described in Acts 21, arrived in Jerusalem to some strong responses. Buoyed by a crowd incensed by rumors that he was encouraging Jews to no longer observe Jewish law, a Roman tribune arrested and interrogated Paul to determine his crime. Following the Jewish law was central to the life of those identifying as God’s chosen people, and this man was accused of overturning the practices and covenant of their ancestors. (I probably would have been similarly roused. In fact, as I learned more about the history and present-day legacy of colonialism among communities with which I identify, I was roused – but I digress.)

We’ve heard a lot of rhetoric about our laws recently – from politicians, from pulpits, and most recently, from angry mobs of people rallying around a cry to hold fast as a country to tradition or law and order. The Constitution, the source document from which the laws of the U.S. came to be, is considered by many to be the ancestral heritage of the U.S. To many it’s what makes this country unique, and identity as “Americans” is marked by adherence to following law. As in Paul’s day, it becomes a problem now too when someone is accused of attempting to disregard the law for their own purposes.

But what was Paul doing, if not what he was accused of?

 

A moment of confusion

TEXT Acts 22:1-16 – I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ (v. 10)…

Acts 22 is known today as the account of Paul’s conversion. He was in Jerusalem because he had been given explicit instructions described to go (v. 10) and to do (v. 16). He attempted to convey this to the angry crowd, saying he lived “according to our ancestral law” (v. 3), saying it was as precious to him as it was them. He had dedicated his life to the law, to tradition, to persecuting those who sought to preclude the law with a new Way (v.4). Jesus, when addressing Paul on the road, anticipated the uproar when Paul testified to his encounter on the road.

When Paul tells of his conversion, he’s been confronted with his sins. Like many in the crowd, pre-conversion Saul had used the law and tradition to persecute and oppress others (even though many had heard of Jesus’ making an entire speech in Matthew 25 about how any treatment of the oppressed and marginalized among us is done as though it were being done to Jesus Himself… again, I digress). He asks Jesus, “What am I to do, Lord?”

The interesting thing about what Jesus says? He doesn’t tell Paul anything. He just says to go.

“What am I to do, Lord?” is a question we must ask ourselves daily. It is a question I ask about my work in advocacy. The response is always the same: Go.

 

Going it alone

After his encounter with Jesus, Paul tells us, “those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus” (v. 11). Like Paul, we need accompaniment in our mission. The task of pursuing God’s call on our lives as believers is a charge made possible by the indispensable resource of community. As we “go,” we do not journey alone. In the work of advocacy, we do not labor for justice alone. The work of advocacy is a journey to join God in restoring all things to Godself. The work is urgent, as we strive to ensure the needs of those made vulnerable to suffering are met.

 

A refreshed beginning

As it was with Jesus’s, Paul’s baptism (v. 16) marks him as a member of the Christian community and as at the beginning of his work. And as it was with Paul, our baptism marks us as members of the Christian community and the beginning of our work. As Lutherans, our commitment to advocacy comes in response to our baptismal covenant, just as Paul’s faith and mission were confirmed by his baptism (v. 16).

Paul was forgiven his sins of persecution in order to be proactive in his commitment to Christian community and faith. We must repent of the sins in which we unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly) participate. Judgment. Discrimination. Apathy. Inaction.

Forgiveness leads us to repent of our sins and move forward in faith. A recent example of repentance is the commitment to anti-racism that individuals and organizations have made to turn away from discrimination and become proactive in using anti-racist language, behavior, etc. To repent of racism is to live out anti-racism.

 

Timeless and timely advice

Ananias tells Paul, “And now, why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name” (v. 16). Ananias’ words to Paul reinforce what Jesus said to Paul on the road: get up and get moving – why do you delay?

And it is a sending I take with me, along with you, in advocacy action.

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* This New Year Devotional Series has been composed by the three ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows serving in 2020-2021. “The ministry of ELCA World Hunger involves young adult engagement in conversations and formulating solutions to this systemic and universal obstacle to physical and spiritual well-being. Hunger is one of the key issues we must address as a church, for injustice and inequity are consistent themes across our local and global food systems. One way to address hunger and ensure young adult involvement in the ELCA and in World Hunger’s faith-based work is by funding the Hunger Advocacy Fellowship (HAF) position, a year-long contract position designed to cultivate the leadership of individuals looking to halt the expanding reach of hunger through advocacy,” describes Taina Diaz-Reyes, Hunger Advocacy Fellow in D.C.

Taina Diaz-Reyes‘ placement is with the ELCA advocacy staff in Washington, D.C. She says: “I am a ‘Lutheracostal’ originally from Tucson, Ariz. but raised in the D.C. area. It was here I was exposed to the power of protest and political movements present in the city over the course of my youth. I graduated from the George Washington University with a BA in Geography and Sustainability, then completed the MDiv/MA in Sustainability dual degree program at Wake Forest University in December 2019. My personal and professional interests lie in the food-climate-policy nexus and the theological frameworks that help Christians determine points of action for racial equity, food security, climate justice and decolonization. My hope is to gain skills that will help me advance the pursuit of food justice via theologically-informed advocacy.”

By the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy

In the days since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the words of the 61st chapter of Isaiah have accompanied me as a prayer and as a promise. It is one of the texts I turned to as I fearfully watched the violent mob of President Trump’s supporters, bent on overturning the election results, breach the doors on January 6 and overrun the seat of American democracy. I prayed the words as the fuller horror emerged, including the tragic death of a Capitol Police officer and of rioters, details about the imminent danger to people I care about and destruction in a place that I love. The prophet’s words direct me now in pondering the role of the church in rebuilding, including telling the truth about the forces of racism and white supremacy that lie at the root of the insurrection and whose repudiation and dismantling in church and society are inseparable from our proclamation of the Gospel.

 

Need to look actually

After the attack I kept hearing the refrain “This is not who we are!” from mostly white Americans horrified by the violence that they saw. I understand that tempting assertion. These are not our nation’s ideals or our national myth, and I don’t want this to be who we are either. But nothing will change unless we acknowledge that last week’s violence and ongoing threats are direct expressions of our nation’s deep-rooted white supremacy intertwined with a resurgent Christian nationalism. Neither are new, but both have been given new sanction and virulent life by President Trump’s rhetoric and policies. Saying “this is not who we are” is a lie that abdicates our individual and collective sin and complicity.

Martin Luther said that a theologian of the cross calls the thing what it actually is, in contrast to a theology of glory which calls evil good and good evil. ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod Bishop Yehiel Curry’s blog post, “If It Was Us We Would’ve Been Shot,” and Missouri’s U.S. Rep. Cori Bush’s op-ed, “This is the America that Black people know,” are some of the voices calling issues by name, saying this IS who we are. They are calling out the disparate treatment of the largely white crowd that was allowed to converge on the Capitol despite weeks of threats and plans to violently overturn the election in President Trump’s favor. They and many others are outraged but not surprised by white supremacy at work in the widely contrasting preparations and response to white supporters of the President, and in the privilege operating that could have allowed this insurgency to succeed.

We need to call what it actually is another thing: the fusion of Christian nationalism with violent insurrection. The cross, signs reading “Proud American Christian,” and banners bearing the name of Jesus were carried next to Confederate flags and among people outfitted for violence. Insurrectionists appealed to faith as a justification for their assault on the Capitol, including a “Jericho March” that would bring down the walls of the Capitol. I want to again say “this is not who we are,” but that too would be a lie. This is a face of Christianity in our nation, and although unrecognizable to me, these are our kin, and it is our responsibility to repent and denounce this perversion of the Gospel.

 

Much to do

Where do we go from here? There is much to do to tend to those traumatized by the event. We need to hold leaders, rioters and their supporters accountable and to ensure this never happens again. And for our ELCA, I suggest we go deep and learn from Isaiah about some first steps to address white supremacy and Christian nationalism.

 

Leading rebuilding

The prophet Isaiah’s 61st chapter announces to the returned exiles the anointing of God’s servant and the rebuilding the ruins of Jerusalem, her institutions and common life. This week I noted new learning from this text. Rebuilding will be led not by the elites but by those who have suffered most under the current order – the oppressed, the brokenhearted and the captives. The ones who know the weight of injustice, who have been on the receiving end of violence and whose hearts have been broken by the trauma of loss are charged with raising up the former devastations. They are the leaders for shaping a new and more just nation.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s account is informed by the voices of those who can call a thing what it is, informed by their suffering so that the new city will not replicate its former structures but imagine a new and more just design. So at this time, our overwhelmingly white church needs to listen to and follow the lead of those who know best the pain inflicted by white supremacy, those brokenhearted, imprisoned and oppressed by it – even when we want to cry out that “this isn’t us.” We need to hear the pain and follow this leadership on how to respond and raise up the former devastations. We need to learn to identify and preach and teach about the dangers of white Christian nationalism as heresy and violence.

 

Unleashing renewal and repair

The servant of Isaiah 61 came to preach good news to the poor. The servant’s job was proclamation of God’s word of healing and liberation, and then getting out of the way so that the oaks of righteousness could get to work, unleashing their energy and creativity into repairing their society. It is what Jesus did when he stood in the synagogue to read from this chapter. He announced his priorities with these words and then asked his followers to go and do likewise.

This is who we are – Jesus’ disciples who are broken but also blessed. Sinful but also forgiven. Fearful but also called to serve. Called and sent to renew and repair.

by Larry Herrold, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow*

Believer and non-believer. Educated and uneducated. Rich and poor. Democrat and Republican. Male and female… How numerous are the binaries with which we live!

In many ways 2020 was the year of binaries. The election, the social unrest around racial injustice and a worsening pandemic revealed how deep our divisions have been become. Gridlock ensues in governments, insults fly online, and protesters clash on the streets. Our world seems to be turning-in on itself. Yet we know we are inextricably connected.

TEXT: Proverbs 22:1-9 – A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold…

It’s in challenging times that Scripture can provide comfort and context. Proverbs 22:1-9 shows the continuity in the binaries that we witness, particularly between rich and poor. The rich yield power and possess gold and silver, yet the author makes clear that the humble are blessed and receive honor and life. This passage seemingly depicts a binaried society yet the second verse lays out: “The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD is the maker of them all.”

The events of 2020 underscore how important it is to keep our interconnectedness in mind in more than just this moment. People lost their homes and jobs, and many went hungry. Countless have lost a loved one to COVID-19. In my own community I’ve seen churches, food banks, shelters, and any person of goodwill take on the weight of supporting those in need, but the response only goes so far.

In my management of my church’s community garden, the produce we donate is nourishing, but it will not sustain the hungry indefinitely. Not only is it not enough, but people often need information and tools to prepare it to eat. Food drives face similar issues, and temporary housing is just that… temporary. The institutions and organizations of my already economically depressed slice of Pennsylvania cannot alone meet needs.

While some struggle and others struggle to care for them, our leaders are slow to act. Aid is minimal and mismanaged. Yet we know that while this is happening, the most powerful have expanded their own wealth and security to unprecedented levels. Our advocacy, as church together, needs to take place. Immediate need must be met, yes, but long-term solutions to the systemic causes of homelessness, hunger, and violence must be made. Our leaders must be held accountable and pressured to act.

Proverbs 22:6 passes along the wisdom: train children in the right way and when old they will not stray. I have fond memories of my grandmother including me in her service to the community. Her faith, which she passed on to me, led her to serve the most vulnerable. That faith compels me to do the same. Yet I, like many before me, live in a turbulent moment. I am called to not only serve in the presence of immediate need, but to also use my voice, inspired by the active faith instilled in me at a young age, to be an advocate for systemic change that brings new and abundant life to people in my community and beyond.

The passage in Proverbs acknowledges binaries of the world and also guides us in considering our identifiers. While the rich are comfortable and powerful, they will lack blessings, honor, and life if they are not humble and “fear the Lord” (Proverbs 22:4). Calamity comes to those who perpetuate injustice, especially as it pertains to the poor.

All people deserve care, justice, and respect from one another, because we all come from the same Creator. In this new year, with new policy makers, and with the hope of an end to the pandemic, let us be strong advocates so that all know “they share their bread with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9).

 

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* This New Year Devotional Series has been composed by the three ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows serving in 2020-2021. “The ministry of ELCA World Hunger involves young adult engagement in conversations and formulating solutions to this systemic and universal obstacle to physical and spiritual well-being. Hunger is one of the key issues we must address as a church, for injustice and inequity are consistent themes across our local and global food systems. One way to address hunger and ensure young adult involvement in the ELCA and in World Hunger’s faith-based work is by funding the Hunger Advocacy Fellowship (HAF) position, a year-long contract position designed to cultivate the leadership of individuals looking to halt the expanding reach of hunger through advocacy,” describes Taina Diaz-Reyes, Hunger Advocacy Fellow in D.C.

Larry Herrold‘s placement is with the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) office in Harrisburg, Pa. A native of Sunbury, Pa., where the east and west branches of the Susquehanna River meet, he graduated from Susquehanna University in 2019 with a BA in History and Religious Studies. He received a MA in Modern History from the University of Kent in England, where he completed a Fulbright Scholarship. Harrold is deeply committed to the intersection between ecclesiastical service and social justice; he even plans to go to seminary to learn more about incorporating justice into ecclesial ministry.

As the final election results in Georgia have been resolved, the 117th Congress has begun. Members were sworn into office on January 3, 2021. Check out some of the Lutheran legislators who will serve our country in this new Congress.

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ELCA affiliated members Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; successfully won their bids for re-election in November. They will be rejoining their other Lutheran incumbent colleagues in the Senate, including ELCA Members Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Also in the Senate, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) member Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy.; joined the chamber for the first time, while LCMS member Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo.; was not successful in his bid for re-election. Sen. Lummis rejoins Congress after retiring from the House of Representatives in 2016.

Four Lutheran members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be exiting at the start of the 117th Congress. Lutheran members Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash.; and Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.; announced their retirements last year and did not seek re-election. ELCA-affiliated Congressman Heck ran and won his bid for Lieutenant Governor of Washington State. Other members, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn.; and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M.; did not win their bids for re-election in 2020. We wish them all the best of luck in their next endeavors and appreciate their dedication to public service.

Returning ELCA members to the House include Rep. John Carter, R-Texas; Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo.; Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif.; Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine; Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa.; and U.S. Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I. Other self-described Lutherans who will be returning are Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.; Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich.; Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.; Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan.; Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan.; Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J.; and Rep. David Trone, D-M.D. Re-elected LCMS representatives Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind.; Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis.; and Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn. WELS member Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis.; also will rejoin the House.

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Get a jump start on building relationships with your lawmakers. “Make Sure Your Member of Congress Knows YOU!” shares ideas from the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (prepared in 2019).

Find a full list of lawmakers and their religious affiliations at Pew Research Center.