Marit Johnson is the current Lutheran Volunteer Corps member serving as the Assistant for the Justice for Women Program at the ELCA churchwide offices in Chicago.

A kaleidoscope of color is streaming in from the stained-glass windows of the Church Center of the United Nations. The warmth of this light fills the room and the hearts of those singing, “Bambelela! Bambelela! – Never give up! Never give up!”

“Bambelela” is a South African song that our delegation Lutheran World Federation chose to match our given chapel text from Esther. Esther never gave up in protecting and advocating for her people. At times, gender-justice work seems overwhelming. This year is the 61st session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. Sometimes it feels appropriate to ask, “How much progress has been made in these 61 years?”

In his opening remarks on the theme of women’s economic empowerment to the General Assembly, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “Empowerment is about breaking structural barriers.” He continued by saying, “Women’s rights are human rights and attacks on women are attacks on all of us.”

We are all part of the body of Christ. When we harm one member, we harm us all. Gender-justice work is a marathon. As we move forward, we remember those who came before us. We think of those who will come after us. And we think of all of those that we are held accountable to in this work, and we remember that we carry hope in Christ Jesus and his love for all.

Bambelela! Never give up. Amen.

Bambelela, Bambelela,

Oh, Bambelela, Bambelela
Bambe, Bambe, Bambe, Bambe, Bambe
Oh, Bambe, Bambelela

Never give up, Never give up,
Oh, Never give up, Never give up
Never, Never, Never, Never, Never
Oh, Never, Never give up

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is committed to supporting policies that safeguard God’s creation, address the impacts of climate change on our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, and fulfill our moral obligation to future generations. Because of these commitments, ELCA Advocacy is deeply concerned about the White House’s executive action taken on March 28, 2017 to eradicate our nation’s progress in combating climate change.

All children of God have a responsibility to be caretakers of our natural world and to preserve our ecosystems for future generations. In striving for climate justice, we understand that the burden of environmental degradation, pollution, and lack of access to resources falls disproportionately on marginalized communities. Therefore, we must cultivate and maintain a healthy and abundant planet that meets the needs of current and future generations.

The ELCA is mindful of the economic challenges faced as individuals and communities transition from employment based on fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Any action taken to address climate change must also ensure sufficient and sustainable livelihood for all people.

We call upon the Administration to re-examine its actions under this executive order and to proceed with extreme caution. We also call upon the Administration to remain true to its stated commitment of protecting the environment and to base all actions on principles of stewardship, sustainability, and justice.

For more information on ELCA Advocacy’s commitment to caring for God’s creation, visit ELCA.org/advocacy.

By Lia Hansen, Program Associate at the Lutheran Office for World Community

To say that the United States plays a pivotal role in the work of the United Nations is an understatement. Since the formation of the United Nations, the United States has been instrumental in its conception, creation, and funding. The United States’ financial commitment has fluctuated. Many bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress to decrease U.S. funding commitments since 1945. As an example, a 2005 UN Reform Act[1] passed in Congress called for a switch from UN Charter-based assessed dues plus voluntary contributions to a fully voluntary funding model, withholding dues until certain reforms were met. Although this act was never implemented, a strong desire exists in many sectors of U.S. society for decreased involvement in the United Nations continues to exist.

President Trump’s administration has capitalized upon and furthered an anti-UN stance. The new administration submitted two draft executive orders to the National Security Council that were withheld from approval pending further review by the State Department. The draft orders called for at least 40% overall decrease[2] in U.S. voluntary contributions. This would be difficult to implement immediately, but new administration’s goal to seriously diminish U.S. involvement in UN programs is clear.

As people of faith who do advocacy on behalf of and within the Lutheran church, we believe that justice is what God’s love and our love for our neighbors looks like in public. As such, it is alarming to think that many of the UN programs aimed at helping the world’s most vulnerable could be diminished or eliminated.

While the U.S. pays the maximum rate in dues to the UN by Member States (22% for regular operations and 28% for peacekeeping), this only encompasses about 0.1% of the total federal budget. Moreover, the U.S. derives economic benefits from continual engagement with the U.N.; for every $1 invested in the UN secretariat, the U.S. receives over $1.60 in return in economic activity in New York[3].

The Better World Campaign estimates that United States’ contributions to the U.N. directly provide vaccinations for 40% of children worldwide, assists 65 million refugees, funds 120,000 peacekeepers, fights poverty for 420 million rural poor, and has saved the lives of 30 million women through the promotion of maternal health. Among all these initiatives, I will outline the contributions made and programs delivered by three critical agencies: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Program (WFP) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East was established in 1949, following the Arab-Israeli conflict, to provide relief and works programs to Palestinian refugees. UNRWA’s services range from education, health care, relief and social services, and emergency assistance; it has assisted generations of Palestinian people since its foundation. Lutheran World Federation has worked in partnership with UNRWA since 1949 to provide healthcare for many Palestinians in Jerusalem[4]. In the year of its founding, UNRWA responded to the needs of 750,000 refugees. Its operations have grown exponentially, now serving 5 million eligible refugees.

The United States plays a pivotal role in the provision of these services. In 2015, the U.S. donated $380,593,116, around 30% of the total budget[5]. As the biggest voluntary contributor, a potential reduction of 40% would be disastrous.

Not only would a U.S. funding cut impact the lives of millions of Palestinian refugees, but would also result in threats to livelihoods and create social disruption and insecurity in the societies of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria which host them, fueling major political and economic instability in the region.

World Food Program (WFP)

The World Food Program was founded in 1961 as part of the UN system. It currently assists 80 million people in more than 80 countries each year. It is the leading international organization fighting hunger. In a world where one in nine people worldwide don’t have enough to eat, the WFP food assistance services are essential. The WFP will be instrumental in reaching the Sustainable Development Goal #2 of zero hunger.

The WFP is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Out of its $5.9 billion budget in 2016, the U.S. funded around a third ($2 billion) of its total budget. In addition, the U.S. has funded special programs in emergencies, such as providing an additional $125 million in 2014 for the Syrian crisis[6].

The WFP recently declared famine in several regions of South Sudan, with 100,000 lives threatened in addition to the 5 million South Sudanese facing severe food insecurity. Food insecurity has increased in the region due to many factors that contribute to inadequate access and delivery. Climate change phenomena affecting the Horn of Africa has led to major droughts in Somalia. This combined with other factors has led to a major food crisis in East Africa, potentially affecting around 3 million people, with increased risk for famine. The WFP is instrumental in mitigating these and countless others protracted food insecure situations worldwide. Action must be taken, and a major U.S. withdrawal is likely to result in countless lives lost.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Since its formation in 1950 the UNHCR has served and protected approximately 50 million refugees. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is the leading international organization aiding and protecting refugees worldwide, providing food, shelter, and medical services in over 126 countries[7]. The Lutheran World Federation is a historic and active partner, the fifth largest, aiding 1.4 million refugees in 2012. In addition to operations in Jordan, Mauritania, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nepal, the LWF closely collaborates with UNHCR in South Sudan[8]. Around 1.5 million people have fled to camps in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, in addition to the 1.5 million internally displaced people within South Sudan[9]. The UNHCR’s work is critical in aiding and protecting these refugees.

The United States plays a critical role in this work, providing 21% (1.5 billion) of the UNHCR’s $7 billion budget. The shift in the U.S. President’s administration towards one that disparages the lives of refugees, in addition to the proposed UN budget cuts, seriously threatens the lives of the millions dependent on UNHCR’s protection and services.

This is not only a fiscal issue; it is a moral issue. Through the strong in our commitment to the values and programs represented by and carried out through the United Nations, and advocate for renewed U.S. financial commitment as vital to ensuring human rights and dignity for all.

Conclusion
At 22% of the general UN budget, and 28% of peacekeeping operation costs, the U.S. provides invaluable support to U.N. programs worldwide. Decreasing funding by the proposed 40% will inevitably forfeit United States’ leadership at the UN, and threaten critical programs worldwide. The ELCA recently signed on to a letter addressed to congressional leadership strongly urging congress to renew its commitment to and leadership in the United Nations.

[1] https://betterworldcampaign.org/us-un-partnership/importance-of-funding-the-un/why-congress-must-oppose-efforts-to-cut-funding-to-the-united-nations/

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/28/world/americas/trump-un-funding-order.html?_r=0

[3] https://betterworldcampaign.org/us-un-partnership/importance-of-funding-the-un/un-budget-process/

[4] https://jerusalem.lutheranworld.org/content/history-91

[5] https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/2015_donors_ranking_overall.pdf

[6] https://www.wfp.org/funding/year/2016

[7] http://www.unrefugees.org/about-us/

[8] https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/un-agencies

[9] https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/emergency-south-sudan-conflict

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director

ELCA.org/advocacy

ADVOCACY LENT DEVOTIONALS: This Lent we offer two advocacy resources:

ELCA World Hunger’s “40 Days of Giving” Lent devotional. focuses on the connections between faith and economic justice as we follow Christ’s journey to the cross. A number of pages highlight some of the work of our State Public Policy Offices with suggestions for advocacyactions.

The ELCA AMMPARO initiative released the “I Was A Stranger” challenge to focus on meeting people who have been displaced with the heart and love of God throughout Lent.

MIGRATION EXECUTIVE ORDERS: President Trump signed executive orders late January that cripple the asylum process, increase the detention of migrants, and expands border enforcement. Unaccompanied children and families currently arriving or who have arrived from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala will be among those most severely impacted by the executive orders. The policy changes encouraged by the Administration will strip children and families of critical protections, allowing them to be quickly pushed through detention facilities through an expedited removal process, and quickly deported without due process rights.

Some policy changes in the executive orders will need a Congressionally approved increase in funding to be implemented effectively. ELCA Advocacy has begun educating Members of Congress about the impact of policies included in the memorandum and asking that funding for programs to help the most vulnerable are not cut to implement inhumane and impractical immigration policies.

FEDERAL BUDGET UPDATE: The Trump Administration announced plans to boost military spending late February, and is expected to do so at the cost of deep cuts into the EPA and other annual domestic programs. Non-defense programs address several critical issues that ELCA Advocacy prioritizes, including foreign aid, addressing homelessness, providing education and veterans’ services, suicide prevention, and many others.

Faith and poverty advocates continue urging Congress to reauthorize a budget deal to prevent harsh cuts for people in the greatest need. As Congressional leaders move to respond to the release of the Administration’s proposal, ELCA Advocacy will conduct outreach to protect anti-poverty programs. An action alert urging Congress to maintain funding for affordable housing and homeless programs in the federal budget is live on the ELCA Action Center.

INTERNATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT: A bipartisan group of senators is working to re-introduce the International Violence Against Women Act this March. Passing this important legislation continues to be a priority for ELCA Advocacy. In 2012, the Obama administration released a government-wide strategy to address the issue of gender-based violence around the world, and to make it a priority of U.S. foreign policy. The International Violence Against Women Act seeks to congressionally authorize this strategy.

METHANE WASTE STANDARDS: The new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Methane Rule that was adopted last November has updated working standards and technologies for oil and gas companies on public land—helping better control methane pollution (a potent greenhouse gas). During the public comment period that led to the implementation of the Methane Rule, Lutherans across the country testified at public hearings in favor of the policy in 2015—citing health, community, moral and environmental concerns. But now, in the 115^th Congress, lawmakers have prepared a bill that would overturn the methane rule. The methane repeal measure passed the House of Representatives in early February, and now makes its way to the Senate. ELCA Advocacy shared an action alert in support of the BLM Methane Rule, which now makes its way for a final vote in the Senate.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

BREASTFEEDING ADVOCACY: The NYC Breastfeeding Leadership Council, Inc. held its Annual Breastfeeding Forum on February 17 at the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center. The forum brought together more than 150 representatives of local organizations involved in breastfeeding promotion. Delegates learned how to advocate, how New York won the nation’s strongest paid family leave law, Birth Equity in NYC and what is at risk for policies concerning breastfeeding in the 115^th Congress. Presenters were Theresa Landau, MS, RDN,CDN Chairperson; Susan Vierczhalek, MD,IBCLC,FAAP Vice Chairperson; Kathleen Carpenter, MS,RDN,CDN,IBCLC Treasurer; Eric Williams, Paid Family Leave Coalition; Molly Weston Williamson, Attorney, A Better Balance; Sharon Marshall Taylor, NYCDOHMH and Susannah Pasquantonio, Legislative Aide to State Senator Liz Krueger. LOWC’s Christine Mangale gave the keynote speech (See photos).

FIFTEENTH COORDINATION MEETING ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION: On February 16 and 17, LOWC took part in the 15^th annual coordination meeting on international migration at the UN headquarters, organized by the Population Division of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The meeting focused on the progress made in the implementation of migration-related SDG targets, while discussing the preparation for the 2018 global compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration. The event was divided into six panels, including “The Roadmap for Implementing the New York Declaration”, “Implementing the migration-related commitments of the 2030 Agenda”, and “The global compact on migration: Regional and human rights dimensions”. (See photo right)

RESPONDING TO MIGRATION CHALLENGES FROM THE ECONOMIC ASPEC: On the margins of the Fifteenth Coordination Meeting on International Migration, a side-event “Responding to migration challenges from the economic aspect” was held at UN headquarters on February 17. Many individuals and families migrate from rural areas for economic reasons as they see migration as the most viable option for moving out of poverty within their own communities. Conflict, extreme weather events and political instability are also among the root causes of migration. Migration is part of the process of development. Migration should be a choice not a necessity. International cooperation should address the structural drivers of large movements of people and create conditions that allow communities to live in peace and prosperity in their homelands. Investing in sustainable rural development, climate change adaptation and resilient rural livelihoods are important parts of the global response to current migration challenges.

FIFTEEN CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND EQUALITY IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: The ELCA joined 14 other Christian organizations in sending a briefing paper to all members of Congress and to the Trump Administration on February 15 calling for U.S. policies that promote peace, justice, and equality between Israelis and Palestinians.

California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

BILL INTRODUCTIONS: February 19 was the deadline for bill introductions, and the next step in the legislative process is committee hearings over the next number of weeks. There are many bills addressing LOPP-CA subject priorities, including immigration, health, climate change/environmental justice, and housing. We are supporting a new version of The Disclose Act, which failed to reach the required 2/3 majority by one vote last session. It would improve the health of democracy by requiring more timely and visible reporting of contributions to support or oppose ballot measures.

EVENTS: LOPP-CA co-sponsored the Green California Summit, and participants were motivated in call-and-response style by our luncheon speaker, civil rights and environmental justice leader Dolores Huerta. LOPP-CA also co-sponsored the annual Day of Remembrance and Unity Candlelighting Ceremony to mark the 75^th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066. Director Mark Carlson was blessed to spend a few moments with a 100-year-old honoree who was able to return to his farm and community, thanks to the care of neighbors during his family’s incarceration while he served in the Army (see photo left).

UPCOMING: March brings a small group of PLTS seminarians to the Capitol, who are focusing on LOPP-CA as an ELCA World Hunger grantee as part of Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda’s Public Ministry Class. The annual conference of the California Budget and Policy Center is also taking place. The UC Sacramento Center continues its series of informative events with a lecture on the long reach of child nutrition programs.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado

Lam-co.org

FAITH ADVOCACY DAY: Nearly 100 advocates joined together for Colorado Faith Advocacy Day on February 11. Keynote speaker Rev. Amy Reumann, Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia, and others put enlivening words to the theme “Luther at 500: Reclaiming Protest for Today’s Public Church.” Participants concluded the day by writing their commitments to action and advocacy on pieces of paper and nailing them to a door, painted to resemble the Wittenberg Castle door on which Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. (Top-right: Colorado Faith Advocacy Day participants)

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: The Colorado General Assembly is approximately one-third of the way through its 2017 session. LAM-CO is currently advocating for bills that would extend the child care expenses income tax credit (HB 1002) and continue low-income household energy assistance (HB 1116). We are opposing a bill that would repeal the state’s health care insurance exchange (SB 003).

Bills we have supported that have already been defeated: HJR 1013 to oppose the executive order on refugee resettlement, SB 22 to support rural economic development, and SB 95 to repeal Colorado’s death penalty.

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–New Mexico

Lutheranadvocacynm.org

LUTHERANS AND ADVOCACY PARTNERS GATHER: About 175 advocates, including members of ELCA congregations and their ecumenical and interfaith advocacy partners, attended the 2017 LAM-NM Bishop’s Legislative Luncheon as well as the annual issues briefing in the morning prior to the luncheon. Bishop Gonia spoke to the gathering about “Prophetic Love.” Archbishop John Wester from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe brought greetings at the beginning of the luncheon that was also attended by a dozen legislators. In the afternoon, Bishop Gonia accompanied the group of advocates who visited the capitol.

Pastor Anne Morwaski received the Haaland Advocacy Award presented by LAM-NM Policy Committee Chair, Judy Messal (See picture on left). Senator Howie Morales from Silver City received the LAM-NM Legislator of the Year Award (See picture right).

Ohio

Nick Bates, The Hunger Network

hungernetohio.com

FAITH LEADERS CONTINUE TO GATHER IN COLUMBUS to discuss our vision for a more just community. Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other traditions gather once a month for breakfast to discuss the prevalence of anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic rhetoric, racial injustice, policing issues, and how the faith community can respond in a meaningful way. In order to foster more diversity and community, the breakfasts rotate location in order to allow all of us the grace of receiving hospitality from one another. Breakfasts have been hosted by historically white and historically black congregations and the above photo was taken at Congregation Tifereth Israel – a Jewish Synagogue on the East side of Columbus. (See picture right)

BUDGETS ARE MORAL DOCUMENTS. The budget proposed by Governor Kasich doesn’t expand dollars for food banks or for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund. It also does very little to address to the opiate overdose rate in Ohio. The budget will be in the Ohio House until April. And we need your voice this Lenten Season!

On March 9^th, people of faith will gather at the Ohio Statehouse to advocate on issues of hunger, housing and healthcare. Come and join us! You can register at www.hungernetohio.org/advocacy-day. Not able to make the advocacy day of action? Contact Hunger Network at Nick@HungerNetOhio.org and we can help set up an in-district meeting between you and your Representative.

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy–Pennsylvania

Lutheranadvocacypa.org

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania applauded the inclusion of an additional $2 million for school breakfast in an otherwise austere budget proposal put forth by Gov. Tom Wolf at the start of the month. LAMPa has been championing school breakfast expansion for several years. The governor’s plan, which includes level funding for other nutrition programs, confronts an estimated $3 billion deficit. LAMPa also supports proposed increases in funding for early childhood education, public school funding, and efforts to address both clean water and climate change.

LAMPa director Tracey DePasquale has been working with increasing numbers of individuals and congregations looking to become engaged in advocacy in response to turmoil in public life. Many are wrestling with how to strive for justice when even our faith communities are so politically divided. On Feb. 27, Tracey attended an interfaith event hosted by Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod titled “Coming Together: Supporting, Organizing and Pastoring to Our Members (and one another) in This new Political Landscape.” The event offered much that could be shared throughout the church. At the conclusion of the event, nearly 200 faith leaders held a news conference at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, condemning the weekend’s desecration of hundreds of graves at a Jewish cemetery in the city and committing to continue working toward peace and unity. (See picture right)

LAMPa is coordinating Ashes to Go at the capitol, the second year for the offering with the Lower Susquehanna Synod, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.

Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin

ANNUAL ADVOCACY GATHERING – “OPEN OUR EYES, LORD”:

On February 11, we gathered at St John’s Lutheran in Atlanta Georgia. Our Devotion was done by Patti Austin, National President of Women of the ELCA; it was based on Isaiah 58:6-12. The morning session was loaded with powerful speakers. Hilton Austin welcomed everyone and spoke briefly about the inter-connectedness of social issues and how each of them contribute to hunger and poverty and our new roll-out of congregational advocacy. Bishop Julian Gordy spoke briefly about the importance and significance of the church’s voice in the public arena. Roxann Thompson, interim chair of the SES Policy Council, told her story as an immigrant and encouraged congregations to become AMMPARO Welcoming Congregations (See picture). Angela Saxton, lead organizer for A.B.L.E. (Atlantans Buliding Leadership for Empowerment), spoke to the group about her experience as a black woman and the need for bringing people together for ‘sacred conversations.’ Our Keynote speaker was Sherry Boston, Dekalb County District Attorney; Sherry spoke on Criminal Justice reform and the inter-connectedness between education and the criminal justice system.

After lunch, attendees had the opportunity to choose 2 of 4 workshops; workshop presenters were: Melanie Johnson, Program Director Lutheran Services of Georgia – Immigration and Refugee Resettlement (See picture below left)

Mary Campbell, SES Green TEAM – Caring for Creation, Graham Younger, Faith in Public Life – How to write an Op-ed and current hot topics, Rev Ronald Bonner, Asst. to the Bishop, Criminal Justice Reform.

All of our ready benches continue to monitor what is happening in the state legislatures, as well as attending various Lobby Days. Several congregations have shown interest in building congregational advocacy teams; these folks are looking for guidance in this new ministry. With the help of our Policy Council, synod staff, and the Washington office, we look forward to furnishing them with an advocacy manual and developing a network of communication between congregational teams.

Texas

Samuel Brannon, Texas Impact

Texasimpact.org

Lutherans from around the state gathered at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas from February 12-14 for the third annual Lutheran Legislative Event. The gathering was cosponsored by Texas Impact, the Southwestern Texas Poverty and Justice Taskforce, and the by all measures, it was a smashing success. Attendance was up from previous years and enthusiasm for legislative engagement was demonstrably ardent.

The event’s two-day training portion included key note speaker Reverend Alexia Salvatierra, justice advocate and author Pastor Salvatierra guided attendees into a grace filled model of legislative advocacy. In drawing a distinct differentiation between faith-based advocacy and other models, she led participants into gentle but assertive Biblical best-practices that have borne fruit by tested advocacy experience.

Participants were also treated to a fact laden panel discussion on pay day lending led by Rev Amy Reumann, Director of the ELCA Public Advocacy Office in Washington D.C. and Rick Ertel of the SWT Poverty and Justice Task Force. Other speakers focused on the environment, immigration, refugees, children’s health coverage, and religious freedom.

After two days of instruction and prayerful discernment, Bishops Eric Gronberg and Ray Tiemann led a spirited caucusing exercise. The resulting legislative agenda ranged from stewardship of communities and creation, to child welfare and justice for the incarcerated. Everyone spent the third full day in the state Capitol building lobbying legislators and staff (See picture right). Many participants developed new connections and/or strengthened current relationships with their legislators.

Virginia

Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

virginiainterfaithcenter.org

Virginia’s General Assembly 2017 session ended on Saturday, Feb. 25, and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy was able to celebrate several successes:

stopped the cutting of TANF benefits for low-income families.Proposals would have reduced from 24 to 12 months the length of time a family could receive public assistance. This was a mean-spirited bill and we stopped it on the floor.
supported expanding mental health and substance abuse services in Virginia. We joined partner organizations in expanding resources in the state for mental health and substance abuse services.
helped restore driver’s licenses to those who owe court fines and feesby leading the advocacy for ended the state’s practice of suspending driver’s licenses to those persons.
opposed and helped stop some of the worst of the anti-immigrant and anti-refugee bills. We were a vocal presence against these bills and in favor of making Virginia a more welcoming place. At a press event,VICPP volunteers called on Governor Terry McAuliffe to veto all the anti-immigrant bills that emerged from the session. … VICPP is partnering with the Sacred Heart Center on two Worker Clinics for the Richmond area. These sessions — March 1 and March 15 – will provide a safe space for workers to learn more about their rights and ask questions. Lawyers will be present for consultation, and both English and Spanish speaking volunteers will be available to help.

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY: On February 9, over 400 advocates of all faiths came to the State Capitol to learn about FAN’s issues in workshops, gather in caucus meetings by legislative district (people from 37 of our 49 districts came), hear from interfaith speakers and elected officials, and attend a total of 121 meetings with legislators or their staff. (See picture below left)

KEY LEGISLATIVE BILLS: FAN’s main bills are about the use of deadly force by law enforcement, and legislation called “Breakfast After the Bell.” Washington’s statute on deadly force i the most egregious in our country because a prosecutor has to prove the officer acted with malice. Those bills are stalled right now because of law enforcement opposition to changes in language, as well as a lack of political will. Requiring all school districts to allow student access to ‘breakfast after the bell’ will probably once again not reach the Governor’s desk because Senate Republicans emphasize parent responsibility over school mandates.

RESPONSES TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS: FAN has been busy responding to recent Trump executive orders, especially the travel ban and immigration orders. FAN has engaged by having a press conference in the capitol on Interfaith Advocacy Day, supporting numerous grassroots events, supporting immigrant protection legislation, and issuing statements to affirm our immigrant neighbors. See our two statements on our website here and here. (See picture below of Interfaith leaders at a press conference at the State Capitol to support legislation that protects Muslims from a possible religious registry)

CONGRESSIONAL RECESS EFFORTS: FAN is participating in a statewide coalition regarding concerns about repealing the Affordable Care Act by meeting with some Members of Congress and their staff. We are also encouraging and coordinating our advocates to set meetings with their MOC during one of the upcoming recesses.

Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

2017-19 STATE BUDGET: This budget draft is not as austere as the last on. We are pleased that funding for anti-sex trafficking is proposed to remain in the budget and would increase the second year. Part of the funding would expand the LSS-operated facility for trafficked girls in rural Wisconsin. LOPPW is thankful for the bishops signing a letter about anti-sex trafficking to the governor in November 2016.

We have serious concerns about the budget and expected bills in relationship to some public benefits:

New pilot program requiring FoodShare (Wisconsin’s SNAP) recipients who have children to work 80 hours per month for benefits.
Eliminating FoodShare eligibility for parents not in compliance with child support.
Denying FoodShare benefits for anyone not elderly, blind, or disabled whose household has over $25,000 in liquid assets. The paperwork required to prove eligibility is daunting. Pennsylvania stopped their asset test after 111,000 households were denied benefits because they had trouble producing all of the required documentation.
Drug testing and limiting the types of food someone can purchase via FoodShare will likely emerge again.

ADVOCACY DAY: People of Faith United for Justice organizes advocacy day every two years, during budget years. Brochure for the April 4^th event:

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW’s director and two volunteers will join groups from the Wisconsin Climate Table to meet with the Dane County supervisor about the county using more renewable energy. Our table is planning ways to make local impacts with partners in strategic parts of the state.

By Ruth Ivory-Moore

“We can’t grow by repeatedly following prescriptions. We can grow only by making new choices. We are the sum total of the choices we have made in the past. We can change what we are in the future through the choices we make today. Think about that. Who do you choose to become? What do you choose to accomplish?”¹

This quote from Nido Quebein (President of High Point University in High Point, NC where the slogan is to “Be Extraordinary”) resonated with me on October 7, 2016. I had just left a Care of Creation Retreat at the serene, peaceful setting of Luther Glen located in Yucaipa, CA.

What Choices were made?

After leaving the retreat, I was among a number of members of the Lutherans Restoring Creation group who visited the Lutheran Mission (henceforth Mission) in San Bernardino, CA. At the Mission, I was awestruck by the level of poverty, high unemployment, and crime rate in the area. This is a city rich in history and cultural diversity, with influences of Native Americans, Mexican settlers, Spanish missionaries, and Mormon migrants. President Lyndon B. Johnson was an elevator operator here. The Rolling Stones played their first U.S. concert here.

As we talked with staff at the Mission, I was very surprised to learn about what appears to be an apparent disparity in water quality among area residents. The Hispanic staffer spoke of the water in her faucet being cloudy in San Bernardino, while water in the home of the white staffer living in Riverside—was clear. I ask pointed questions to get answers regarding accountability, but no satisfactory answers could be given. How can this happen in the richest country in the world? What choices were or were not made in a place like San Bernardino. Notwithstanding these accounts, I learned later that San Bernardino is actually in a better position than others in the United States when it comes to clean water.

I also learned that an estimated 40% of residents living in the Navajo Nation (100 miles west of Albuquerque, NM) do not have access to running water. The area’s heroine is Darlene Arviso; she is known as the “Navajo Water Lady” because she uses her automobile to deliver water to other residents. I invite you to listen to her story: “Navajo Water Lady”. Ms. Arviso is a determined soul in this area of the country that is too often forgotten.

Let’s choose to not leave anyone behind

We are a nation of extraordinary people. But, obviously, much work is needed. We must make choices that leaves no one behind. We must remember that when poverty affects one of us, it affects us all. We must resolve to take care of all and to help positively change the future of those who live in places like San Bernardino or the Navajo Nation.

We must remember to seek God’s guidance in all our decisions and choices to ensure that all people are taken care of and have access to clean water. Let us begin by praying.

“Sovereign of the universe, your first covenant of mercy was with every living creature. When your beloved Son came among us, the waters of the river welcomed him, the heavens opened to greet his arrival, the animals of the wilderness drew near as his companions. With all the world’s people, may we who are washed into new life through baptism seek the way of your new creation, the way of justice and care, mercy and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.” (ELW)

Nido R. Quebein, Daily Motivation (Simple Truths, Naperville, Il, 2016), p. 363
http://thesoutherncalifornian.blogspot.com/2015/12/15-fun-facts-about-san-bernardino.html

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

2017 ELCA Advocacy priorities

This year’s goals are evaluated for their potential to further racial and gender justice, fulfill our Lutheran social statements and messages, and address key policy concerns of ministries across the U.S.

CARING FOR GOD’S CREATION:

ELCA Advocacy is working to protect God’s creation from the impacts of climate change by encouraging policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring a just transition to renewable energy occurs and necessary steps are taken to make sure all Americans have access to clean water.

PROVIDING HOSPITALITY TO OUR NEIGHBORS:

ELCA Advocacy encourages Congress and the White House to address the urgent need for protection of vulnerable migrant children and families from Central America, while also focusing on long-term solutions that create safe, sufficient and sustainable livelihoods for all.

CONCERN FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS LIVING IN POVERTY AND STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER:

ELCA Advocacy urges Congress to protect and reauthorize federal programs that help end hunger in the United States.

Through the fiscal year 2017 federal budget, ELCA Advocacy urges Congress to:

Responsibly act to ensure all people have access to affordable health care by protecting expanded access to affordable health insurance coverage in the U.S.;
Increase support for programs that seek to end homelessness and focus on uplifting community members who are most heavily affected, including seniors, rural residents, LGBTQ youth, ex-offenders seeking re-entry, and low-income families; and
Continue to fund humanitarian relief and development programs that address extreme hunger and poverty around the globe.

SEEKING JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLE:

ELCA Advocacy continues to work toward the elimination of gender-based violence around the world by supporting the International Violence Against Women Act and educating Congress on the importance of addressing this problem in the U.S. and globally.

As part of our commitment to challenge systems of racial and economic injustice, ELCA Advocacy urges Congress to pass sentencing reform that shifts our nation’s model of criminal justice from one that criminalizes addiction for the benefit of the prison industry to one that focuses on treatment and support for our communities.

ELCA Advocacy, through the Peace Not Walls Network, continues to call for a peaceful and lasting negotiated resolution to the Palestinian Israeli conflict.

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director

ELCA.org/advocacy

MIGRATION POLICY: President Donald Trump signed several executive actions on immigration enforcement and refugee policy restrictions last week, in a move that received critical backlash from the faith community. In addition to highly publicized orders to begin construction of a wall along the border with Mexico and ending federal grants to so-called ‘sanctuary cities,’ the Executive Order also calls for an increase of the detention of migrants and implements measures that cripple the asylum system. Subsequent executive actions included halting migration from seven predominantly Muslim countries and pausing the refugee resettlement program for 120 days.

ELCA Advocacy sent an action alert Thursday encouraging our network to contact their Members of Congress to support compassionate policies that provide safety for vulnerable people. Congress will be able to impact the outcomes of the Executive Orders by allocating or restricting funds to agencies that will implement them. Our faith partner, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and P residing Bishop Eaton likewise shared statements voicing concern on weakening refugee protection policies. With details and the future of refugee resettlement and protections still unclear, ELCA Advocacy will continue to monitor and share details on the evolving situation. More executive actions impacting migrants are expected in the coming weeks.

PRESIDENT ACTION ON HEALTHCARE: At the start of the 115^th Congress, lawmakers formally adopted a budget resolution, completing the first procedural step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Legislators did so without offering a plan for a replacement, an action that could possibly leave millions of Americans without health insurance and significantly raise taxes on middle and low income families. ELCA Advocacy and Lutheran Services in America encouraged people of faith to speak out in favor of responsible action for health care. Prior to the passage of the Budget Resolution, ELCA Advocacy sent out an action alert urging Congress to not repeal the 2010 healthcare law without first implementing a replacement that actively promotes the wellbeing of those experiencing poverty or illness in the U.S.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND: On Jan. 18^th, just prior to the start of the Trump Administration, the U.S. State Department announced that it had provided an additional $500 million grant to support the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This brings the total U.S. contribution to the GCF to $1 billion—reinforcing our national commitment to challenging climate change.

The Green Climate Fund is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable among us from the impacts of climate change. It provides funding to foster developing nations’ efforts to adapt to a changing climate, and will help communities build technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This latest decision came after thousands of Lutherans and other faith advocates voiced their support for the investment last year. As an ELCA Advocacy issue priority for 2015 and 2016, we celebrate the additional funding that the U.S. will contribute to the GCF, as it builds solidarity in our shared responsibility to care for creation.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

SECRETARY GENERAL FIRST ADDRESS: On Jan. 10, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, delivered his first address to the Security Council. In an open debate organized by Sweden, which currently holds the Security Council’s presidency, he outlined his partnership priority with the Security Council, emphasizing the need for increased conflict-prevention measures.

Guterres highlighted the need for an integrated approach toward conflict prevention and lasting peace, emphasizing his desire to integrate differing U.N. pillars toward this goal. He commended civil society in its role of raising an alarm and saw the need for the U.N. to partner with all sectors of society. All delegations welcomed his remarks and highlighted the need for multilateral action, strong institutions, and political solutions to conflicts.

COMBATING MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION: The Permanent Missions of Canada, the United States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the delegation of the European Union sponsored a forum on combatting anti-Muslim discrimination and hatred. The forum highlighted the growing challenges of anti-Muslim discrimination and hatred in various regional and national contexts. The event cited examples of local collaboration in Dallas and Tennessee, as well as coordinated advocacy following attacks on mosques.

Noteworthy was the panel on positive narratives to promote pluralism and inclusion. It raised the importance of telling stories (personally and via various media such as television, film, radio and social media) which often are more effective than a recitation of statistics.

PACIFISM AND WEST AFRICAN ISLAM: The Council on Foreign Relations hosted an interactive dialogue with Dr. Lamin Sanneh, discussing his new book, “Beyond Jihad: The Pacifist Tradition in West African Islam.” Professor Sanneh began by commenting that Africans converted to Islam peacefully. Much of his analysis drew from the American experience, comparing the role of religion as a catalyst for civil society – an important actor in nurturing and bolstering civil society. He argued that there is a peaceful impulse of Islam, often corrupted when mixed with politics.

THE THIRD-ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM: THE ROLE OF RELIGION AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:

On Jan. 23, the World Council of Churches, the United Methodist Church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church organized the Third-Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs, in partnership with the U. N. Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, the U. N. Inter-Agency Task Force for Engagement with Faith-based Organizations and the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations. The symposium addressed cooperation among faith-based organizations, member states, civil society and international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, in fostering just, inclusive and sustainable peace.

California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS: LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson was in the Assembly gallery for the opening invocations by a prominent Muslim cleric for the floor sessions before and after the presidential inauguration, a symbolic statement by the Assembly leadership. (See picture)

Gov. Jerry Brown, facing a round of prostate cancer treatments, delivered a stemwinder State of the State address, defending California’s leadership on immigration, health care, and climate change, issues in which LOPP-CA is engaged. The Legislature ratified the appointment of U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, of immigrant roots, as the state attorney general, after extensive questioning and debate on the First and Second Amendments. LOPP-CA has organized an ELCA table for the annual MLK Gala, with a program ad that links Martin Luther’s 95 theses with the Rev. Dr. King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” (from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s statement).

CARE FOR CREATION: Mark will be attending the initial 2017 policy briefing by the CA Environmental Justice Alliance, and plans are firming up for LOPP-CA to be a host site, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, for the Trinity Institute, March 22-24: “Water Justice.” At the California Climate Change Symposium, state Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, a Lutheran, got the loudest applause on a panel that included the secretaries of the Resources Agency and CalEPA and the president of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), when she called on the hundreds gathered to defend science, and for scientists to stand up (the PUC chair said he feared a “federal lobotomy). LOPP-CA is promoting the March 11 annual Yolo Interfaith Climate Justice conference, keynoted by professor Cynthia Moe-Lobeda.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado

Lam-co.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS: The Colorado General Assembly began its 2017 session on Jan. 11. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado will advocate on its anti-poverty, pro-dignity agenda throughout the 120-day session.

REFUGEE ADVOCACY: Our partners at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains have led an advocacy effort to encourage members of Congress to not halt or severely curtail refugee resettlement efforts in the United States. We join their call to our elected leaders to live up to the United States’ proud heritage of being a place of welcome and refuge for those fleeing violence and discord.

DEATH PENALTY REPEAL: The Colorado Legislature will take up the question of repealing the state’s death penalty statue in February. Senate Bill 17-095, sponsored by Sen. Lucia Guzman and Rep. Alec Garnett, would eliminate capital punishment. The bill is supported by a broad coalition of faith leaders and other criminal justice advocacy groups.

OTHER ENDORSEMENTS: LAM-CO has endorsed several measures so far this session, including HB 17-1002, extending the state’s child-care expenses tax credit, and HB 17-1116, continuing an energy bill assistance program for low-income households.

FAITH ADVOCACY DAY: We encourage all local advocates to join us on Feb. 11 for Colorado Faith Advocacy Day! Register at www.lam-co.org.

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–New Mexico

Lutheranadvocacynm.org

The 2017 legislative session began with intensity since the current fiscal year’s state budget was out of balance by about $70 million and the state constitution prohibits the state from deficit spending. Consequently, the first eight days of the session were used to pass four solvency bills. LAM-NM is working with several groups to advocate that next year’s state budget not be balanced through further severe programmatic cuts but that increased revenue be sought.

LAM-NM Director Ruth Hoffman was one of about 400 people who recently met with New Mexico congressman Ben Ray Lujan to urge him to protect the Affordable Care Act and to particularly protect the Medicaid program, which covers almost 900,000 low-income New Mexicans.

LAM-NM joined other advocates to testify for an increase in the state minimum wage during a legislative hearing of the House Labor and Economic Development Committee. The bill passed that committee and now moves to another committee for consideration.

Ohio

Nick Bates, The Hunger Network

hungernetohio.org

The budget is here!

The Ohio budget was released on the 30^th during the afternoon and hearings began on the 1^st of February in the Ohio Legislature. (See the budget process here).

Again this year, Gov. John Kasich has proposed tax shifts that will reduce resources available instead of investing to solve problems. The budget is a moral document, and the faith community issued a letter to Ohio public officials asking that they do the following three things in the budget this year:

Protect health care

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
Jeremiah 8:22

Create stability in the home

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
Isaiah 32:18

Create food security

If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,”
and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
James 2:15-16

If you would like to see the full letter (AND SIGN ON YOURSELF!), please click here!

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy–Pennsylvania

Lutheranadvocacypa.org

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania has seen a spike in requests to engage in faith-based advocacy this month – from Lutherans and others whose church bodies have no advocacy offices. Through our network and social media, LAMPa invited disciples to engage on a more personal level in the hours right after the presidential inauguration, and our advocates have been directing others to connect

LAMPa Policy Council member the Rev. Titus Clarke and LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale participated in a joint meeting of York Conference Lutherans and members of the York Black Ministerium shortly before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The meeting, hosted by SpiriTrust Lutheran, focused on commonalities and how the faith leaders and their congregations could work together to serve the community, including addressing racism. Re-entry for returning citizens was named as one possible area of joint service and advocacy. The faith leaders will continue to build relationships, with a goal of worshiping, serving and advocating together on MLK Day 2018 (See picture).

LAMPa also partnered with Pennsylvania Power & Light to promote vigils for climate change around the first 100 hours of the new administration. Among the congregations participating was St. Mark’s Lutheran in York (see picture).

As part of InsurePA, LAMPa attended a rally in defense of health care for all Pennsylvanians on Jan. 23 to highlight the risks to Pennsylvanians of repealing the Affordable Care Act (see picture).

In February, Tracey will meet with First Lady Frances Wolf to work on school breakfast expansion. LAMPa is also preparing for the Feb. 7 budget address.

Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin

It has been an exciting and busy month. We had our first Policy Council meeting at Lutheranch. It was very productive and invigorating. Our Policy Council is made up of two people from each state, as well as Bishop Julian Gordy, a liaison from synod council, and myself. While we have been quite active in Georgia and Tennessee, we now have the ability to organize in Alabama and Mississippi. We continue to work on improving communication between the four states.

We are currently preparing for our annual advocacy gathering to be held at St John’s Atlanta on Feb. 11. Sherry Boston, Dekalb County district attorney, will be one of our morning speakers. There will be five workshops to choose from in the afternoon: Criminal Justice Reform, How to Write an Op-ed, Care for Creation, Advocacy 101, and Immigration/Refugee Resettlement; the topic of the immigration workshop is still to be determined depending on the new administration’s actions.

Texas

Samuel Brannon, Texas Impact

Texasimpact.org

Mark your calendars and register for the third-annual Tri-Synodical Lutheran Legislative Event in Austin, Feb. 12-14. The event sponsored by the NT-NL Public Witness Team, the Southwestern Texas Synod‘s Poverty and Justice Task Force, will be at Gethsemane Lutheran Church and include a series of informative speakers and workshops all geared to prepare attendees for their important role in faith-based advocacy. Keynote speakers include author and advocacy trainer the Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, and the Rev. Amy Reumann, director of the ELCA Advocacy Office in Washington D.C. (See poster below.)

In late January, Texas Impact sponsored the eighth- annual United Methodist Women’s Legislative Event in Austin. The Lutheran and Methodist events are similar in scope and content. The Methodist event had a great number of “first timers,” more than ever before. Staff members at Texas Impact are thrilled at the level of congregational enthusiasm toward Methodist advocacy and see similar determination as they watch the number of Lutheran registrations increase daily.

Staff at Texas Impact are noticing a significant increase in activity from Lutheran synods, congregations and individuals. It appears that more people of faith are developing an interest in faith-based advocacy as we advocate for gospel principles and lift the voices of the poor and the disenfranchised.

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Washington’s legislative session is now in its third week, and FAN’s lobby team is visiting with legislators and testifying in support of many of the issues on FAN’s Legislative Agenda, in particular, a solar tax incentive bill and a package of wage theft prevention bills. This year, many of those issues could be addressed by the biennial state budget, including funding for K-12 education, Washington’s mental health system, an office of civil legal aid, small-farm direct marketing and farm to school programs, and youth homelessness prevention.

WOMEN’S MARCH: FAN advocates gathered on Jan. 21 to participate in the Washington State Women’s March. They joined an estimated 175,000 marchers in Seattle and 10,000 in our capital city, Olympia. FAN advocates marched for a variety of causes, including racial and gender equity, sexual assault awareness, access to health care, and protecting the environment (see photo).

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY: On Feb. 9, FAN will be bringing hundreds of advocates from all over the state to our annual Interfaith Advocacy Day. We’re excited to bring people of many different faith traditions to engage with interfaith and legislative speakers, workshops, and caucuses by legislative district. Advocates will meet with their legislators and/or their staff and hear key legislators speak about current, critical issues in the Legislature. FAN is also very involved in our two other advocacy days in Yakima (central Washington) and Spokane (eastern Washington).

Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

Loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW’s director recently joined the leadership team for the Wisconsin Climate Table, which is made up of 28 organizations aligned behind four campaigns to diminish carbon dioxide emissions. LOPPW is part of the Clean Power Plan campaign.

One of the members of the South-Central Synod/LOPPW Care for God’s Creation Team has become a regular speaker on climate change via the synod’s speaker’s bureau. We have begun strategizing approaching local municipalities about their policies on renewable energies.

LOPPW is staying alert for bills that would weaken regulations on Wisconsin wells that, according to a state senator, are expected to be proposed this legislative session. LOPPW’s environmental focus is on climate change and clean water.

ADVOCACY MINISTRY: LOPPW’s director recently led a workshop on Martin Luther and economic justice and spoke on a panel of advocates and community organizers at the La Crosse Area Synod’s event, ACT: Action for Community Transformation. One person so far has volunteered to create a synod team that will help give congregations guidance in the area of advocacy ministries.

IMMIGRATION: Along with staying alert for proposed bills related to immigration, A LOPPW council member and staff are networking with a statewide group that promotes workers’ rights, immigration reform and sanctuary.

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING: LOPPW’s director was a keynote speaker at a community-wide forum on anti-human trafficking at an ELCA congregation in Janesville and encouraged participants to respond to proposed legislation in the Legislative Reference Bureau (see photo).

On January 20, our nation marked the peaceful transition of power from one president to the next. As this new era begins, the ELCA Advocacy network is already engaging with our nation’s elected leaders on important issues affecting our communities.

The ELCA ministry of advocacy is rooted in faith that is active in love; love calls for justice in the relationships and structures of society. (The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, 1991) This affirmation grounds the ELCA Advocacy priorities for engagement with the 115^thCongress and Trump administration. Look for upcoming alerts and opportunities to participate in faithful witness and action to advance greater justice, peace, and care of creation.

ELCA ADVOCACY’S MAJOR PRIORITIES IN 2017:

CARING FOR GOD’S CREATION

Protect God’s creation from the impacts of climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring a just transition to renewable energy occurs and all Americans have access to clean water.

PROVIDING HOSPITALITY TO OUR NEIGHBORS

Address the urgent need for protection of vulnerable migrant children and families from Central America while also focusing on long-term solutions that create safe, sufficient and sustainable livelihoods for all.

CONCERN FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS LIVING IN POVERTY AND STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER

Maintain and expand federal programs that provide food assistance to children and families in need as a first step toward ending hunger in the United States.

Act to ensure all people have access to affordable, accessible and quality healthcare.

Increase support for programs that seek to end homelessness and focus on uplifting community members who are most heavily impacted, including seniors, rural residents, LGBTQ youth, ex-offenders seeking re-entry, and low-income families.

Ensure the U.S. government continues to fund humanitarian relief and development programs that address extreme hunger and poverty across the globe.

SEEKING JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLE

Prevent gender-based violence in the United States and around the world.

Address unjust systems of mass incarceration as part of our commitment to challenge systems of racial and economic injustice.

Call for a peaceful and lasting negotiated resolution to the Palestinian Israeli conflict.

ELCA Advocacy’s 2017 priorities reflect the ELCA’s deep commitment to act and speak for a hunger-free world where all God’s children can thrive. In addition to these primary areas of engagement, ELCA Advocacy will monitor and work on ongoing priorities and remain flexible in response to legislative opportunities as they arise.

In shepherding our 2017 priorities, your advocacy staff will initiate and steward relationships on Capitol Hill, provide education and timely opportunities for action through e-alerts, coordinate with interfaith and ecumenical partner organizations and work with ELCA ministries and Bishops to maximize their voices for impact in the new session of Congress.

How does ELCA Advocacy determine our priority issues?

ELCA Advocacy priorities are grounded in the experience and concerns of ministries and synods and are framed by our social teaching documents and theological commitments. Top tier issues are evaluated for their connection to the goals of ELCA World Hunger, examined for potential to further racial and gender justice and assessed according for the potential for action by the ELCA Advocacy Network, Bishops’ Ready Benches.

Visit our ELCA Advocacy Action Center or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on all our advocacy priorities.

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

In this January Advocacy Update we are focusing on the advocacy priorities of our state public policy offices. In future updates, we will return to the previous order of having the ELCA Advocacy Office in Washington, D.C., first followed by the state offices. Blessings!

California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

LOPP-CA 2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Health care: protection of gains made under the Affordable Care Act, more than 5 million more people with health insurance; disclosure and regulation of drug prices. LOPP-CA has been part of organizing and advocacy efforts focused on district work with California’s congressional delegation to protect progress made under the Affordable Care Act (covered California insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion). The pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran and six members joined a large group for a rally outside the Bakersfield office of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (photo).

LOPP-CA was one of hundreds of organizations signing a letter to the delegation supporting health insurance for children and signed another coalition letter with a broader health focus. There was great energy when Health Access celebrated 30 years with a December symposium (LOPP-CA was an original founding group).

Immigration: support for California’s state laws providing services and supports for immigrants and new efforts such as provision of due process and legal resources in immigration proceedings, including for unaccompanied minors.

Care for creation/climate change: Implementing and strengthening California’s climate-change laws, with attention to environmental justice; water-justice issues including safety, access, affordability and tribal concerns. With the conviction that science matters, LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson will participate in the state-sponsored California Climate Change Symposium 2017 and is pitching to faith leaders opportunities to engage with the World Congress of Science Journalists in Oct. in San Francisco, “Bridging Science & Societies.” On Jan. 10, LOPP-CA was the site host for a Drought and Equity Summit to release a report developed by the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water and the Pacific Institute.

Housing: addressing a critical need for permanent housing and services for homeless people, including advocacy for funding mechanisms, and addressing “not in my backyard” attitudes.

In anticipation of congressional and presidential challenges to California’s healthcare, climate-change, immigration and firearms regulation policies (most supported by LOPP-CA), among others, Gov. Jerry Brown has nominated former U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra to replace now U.S. Sen.Kamala Harris as state attorney general, and the Legislature has retained former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s law firm as outside adviser on federal policy.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Colorado

Lam-co.org

LEGISLATURE CONVENES: The Colorado General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 11, to begin the legislative work of the people for 2017. The Assembly will be in session until Wednesday, May 10, for a total of 120 working days.

FAITH ADVOCACY DAY: Colorado Faith Advocacy Day will be Saturday, Feb. 11. Join other advocates for an illuminating day of learning and action!

“Luther at 500: Reclaiming Protest For Today’s Public Church” We’ll focus on the future of the church’s public witness and reclaiming Martin Luther’s legacy of activism and protest on the cusp of the Reformation’s 500th anniversary. What does it mean for us to be a “Protest”-ant church today?

Click here to register

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO

$25 regular, $10 student/reduced rate

Breakfast, lunch, and all materials included!

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Ensure that assistance is available for people living in poverty, including anti-hunger programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, low-income housing, and job and skills training

Address systemic issues that prevent people in poverty from earning a family-sustaining income, including low wages, lack of housing and lack of infrastructure (particularly in rural areas)

Undergird our work with love and concern for our neighbors, especially the outcast and the marginalized, through the lens of anti-racism.

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota

lutheranadvocacymn.org

Minnesota’s legislative session: Jan. 3-May 22

PLEASE JOIN SOME UPCOMING IMPORTANT EVENTS!

Lutheran Leadership Day at the Capitol: Thursday Feb. 2, 12:30-5 p.m. (reception with legislators 4-5 p.m.)

Christ Lutheran on Capitol Hill and Minnesota Capitol: Bishops, pastors and other church leaders are invited to a day of learning and advocacy.

Breakout sessions include: Creation Care and Clean Energy; Sex Trafficking and Safe Harbor; Race, Refugees and Immigration; and Disability Policy. Plenaries will be focused on affordable housing in Minnesota, through various lenses including racial equity and workforce concerns (RSVP to JKeen@lssmn.org)

Region 3 ELCA Hunger Retreat (for Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota): Friday, Feb. 3, to Saturday, Feb. 4; Friday noon lunch through Saturday after lunch. Luther Crest Bible Camp, 8231 County Rd. 11 NE, Alexandria, MN 56308; Cost is $50.

It will be focused on care of creation, especially climate change and its impact on global poverty and hunger. You don’t need to be a hunger leader to attend! Great opportunity for youth and youth pastors! (Speakers include Dr. Ryan Cumming, program director for hunger education, ELCA World Hunger; and Tammy Walhof, director, Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota, among others). Scholarship information – the Rev. Erika Lehmann, elehmann@santel.net; registration – Kari Bostrom, ; general questions – Ed Payne, edpayne01@gmail.com

JRLC Day on the Hill is Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. This interfaith gathering and advocacy event brings together Lutherans and many other people of faith as we jointly work to address issues affecting low-income people!

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico

Lutheranadvocacynm.org

The LAM-NM Policy Committee gathered in person and via Skype in December for its fall meeting. The committee reviewed our recent Advocacy Conference and looked forward to our 2017 Bishop’s Legislative Luncheon and Issues Briefing on Jan. 31. The program budget for 2017 was adopted. The primary item on the meeting agenda was the review, discussion and adoption of the LAM-NM 2017 Advocacy Agenda.

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Affordable housing and homelessness.

Family-sustaining income.

Hunger.

Health care.

Tax policy.

Criminal justice.

Ohio

Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good

hungernetohio.org

THE END OF 2016 SHOWS THAT OUR ADVOCACY DOES MATTER!

It is easy to see the impact of our charity work compared to advocacy work as a church. With our charity work, we can measure the number of volunteers, meals fed or homes built. Advocacy work often takes more time to see the impact.

In 2014, the Ohio Legislature passed a freeze of Ohio’s renewable energy standards. This was a major setback for clean energy job growth, congregations receiving assistance with energy audits, and Ohio’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

The faith community fought this energy freeze. Retired Bishop Marcus Lohrmann and Trinity Seminary President Rick Barger wrote Legislature leadership, speeches were given, and rallies were held. Even after these efforts, the two-year energy freeze still passed. The Legislature attempted to extend the freeze by three more years, but Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoed that legislation in the final hours of 2016! The advocacy work in 2014 – and continued since – laid the foundation for that veto. We rejoice! (Photo: Marcus Lohrmann)

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

The Ohio budget (including housing and emergency food assistance).

Payday lending (We won in 2008, but a loophole in the law was discovered in 2009)

Protect Medicaid expansion (700,000 Ohioans are benefiting from this one portion of Obamacare.)

And much more!

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania

lutheranadvocacypa.org

The Pennsylvania General Assembly began its 2017-2018 term on Jan. 3 with ceremonial swearing-in of newly elected lawmakers and election of leadership.

Allegheny County state Rep. Mike Turzai was elected to a second term as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, while the Pennsylvania Senate re-elected Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, to serve as the chamber’s president pro tempore. There was no action on legislation.

The resignation of one Democratic representative on Tuesday gave Republicans the largest majority held by either party since the 1950s. The current House makeup is 121 Republicans, 81 Democrats.

In the Senate, the Republican caucus also grew to 34 of the 50 members – a veto-proof majority. That’s the largest majority held by either party since the GOP held 35 seats in 1949.

LAMPa 2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

As adopted by our Policy Council in December: (Click here for detailed agenda.)

HUNGER: Improved access to healthy, affordable food.

EDUCATION: Equity and adequacy in public education funding, access to high-quality pre-K.

POVERTY: Sustainable development, opposing payday lending, increasing minimum wage, safeguarding benefits, preventing homelessness.

HEALTH CARE: Expand and safeguard access to affordable health care, particularly mental health treatment to combat the opioid epidemic

CIVIL RIGHTS: Racial justice and prohibiting LGBT discrimination.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: Justice re-investment, safe harbor for child victims of sex trafficking

CREATION JUSTICE: Watershed protection, climate change mitigation

IMMIGRATION: Creating a welcoming commonwealth, combating anti-sanctuary legislation.

Texas

Samuel Brannon, Texas Impact

Texasimpact.org

Texas Impact will kick off the 85^th Legislative Biennium by hosting a Service of Public Witness on Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. on the south side of the state Capitol in Austin. The service will feature prayers and wisdom from leaders of diverse religious traditions about our shared responsibility to work together for the common good. (Parking)

The 2017 legislative session promises to be a time of high stakes and hard choices. It’s never been more important for people of faith to be informed and engaged. Starting Monday Jan. 16, and on each succeeding Monday at noon throughout the 140 days of the 85^th legislative session, Texas Impact will host a Weekly Witness event.

At these events, Texas Impact will hold a short, focused advocacy training in Murchison Chapel at First United Methodist Church, Austin. We – and often colleagues from our partner organizations – will present timely, insider information on a “focus issue of the day,” as well as updates and next steps on other issues that are on our legislative agenda.

Following the training, participants will make scheduled or unscheduled legislative visits with their legislators and other key members and sometimes attend committee meetings or take advantage of other timely opportunities.

On Jan. 16, April 17 and May 29, we will convene Weekly Witness in an alternate location in the Capitol Extension, E2.020 (Capitol reference map).

Sign up for Weekly Witness today!

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Washington’s Legislative Session begins on Jan. 9; the primary responsibility is to form the 2017-2019 Biennial State Budget, and to resolve a five-year State Supreme Court case holding the Legislature responsible for sufficiently funding our K-12 school system. The governor’s proposed budget fully funds the K-12 system and a response to our mental health crisis with new revenue from a 1 percent increase in our business and occupation tax system, a tax on carbon emissions, and a tax on capital gains. Many predict that this proposed budget is dead-on-arrival, as our Legislature is almost evenly divided by party. There could be two to three special sessions after April’s constitutional adjournment to find a bipartisan solution to fund the K-12 and mental health systems.

During the session, FAN will have three part-time lobbyists working in our State Capital four days a week to push for the issues on our legislative agenda.

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES INCLUDE:

A humane and sustainable biennial budget.

Policies that reduce wealth inequality and support human services.

Dismantling the culture of violence through criminal justice reform and gun safety bills.

Protecting affordable housing and preventing homelessness.

Sustaining Washington’s environment.

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY: FAN staff is busily preparing for FAN’s Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia. We hope to bring 300 to 400 advocates from at least 40 of our 49 legislative districts to engage with speakers, workshops and caucuses by legislative district. Advocates will meet with their legislators and/or their staff and hear key legislators speak about current, critical issues in the Legislature. (Photo: A caucus meeting at Interfaith Advocacy Day 2016)

INAUGURATION DAY EVENTS: FAN is supporting many gatherings and events on Jan. 20, but we will be prioritizing a gathering at Seattle’s largest synagogue that Friday evening, where the congregation is transforming their regular Shabbat service into a large, faith-based community rally and “rededication to values.”

Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

Loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION – WISCONSIN CLIMATE TABLE: Several Wisconsin groups that work on environmental issues held their first overnight retreat.

We began with a walk along the Ice Age Trail in Baraboo with a guided discussion about the noticeable changes in local wildlife over the last 100 years (See photos).

Dr. Curt Meine, an Aldo Leopold scholar and professor at UW-Madison talked about the importance of framing discussions about climate change within our history of Wisconsin conservationists and in a manner that doesn’t threaten to take away anyone’s pickup truck. Along with Aldo Leopold, we can claim several other conservationists, such as Thomas Chamberlain, UW-Madison president (1887 to 1892), who was one of the first scientists to emphasize the role of carbon dioxide in regulating the earth’s temperature (See photo on the right column).

Meine shared the first time he heard climate change framed as a partisan issue. In 1988 he heard Rush Limbaugh present “the other side” of the issue of climate change on “Nightline.” Since then we have gotten stuck in that narrative. But climate change isn’t something you believe or disbelieve in. You accept data or have alternative data.

At the Aldo Leopold Center, we strategized. Most of us do statewide work but within our current political climate, we will also focus on local efforts. LOPPW recently signed on to a joint letter about renewable energy to a county executive, who has now asked his staff to create an initial solar plan. LOPPW also integrates ideas for local grassroots efforts in our workshops.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, Director

ANTÓNIO GUTERRES IS THE NEW UN SECRETARY-GENERAL: On Jan. 1, António Guterres began serving as the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations. Guterres is a Portuguese politician and diplomat. He was the prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. From 1999 to 2005 he was president of Socialist International.

Between 2005 and 2015 he was the U.N. high commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). During his tenure, he gave specific attention to the suffering of vulnerable people, particularly women and children in conflict zones. He is a strong supporter of the empowerment of women and named three women as his first appointments to senior posts in the Secretariat upon becoming secretary-general. While at UNHCR, he developed particularly good relationships and partnerships with civil society and NGOs. One example was working together with The Lutheran World Federation and other faith communities on the high commissioner’s dialogue on faith and protection, which culminated in “Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders,” a declaration that draws upon principles and values of welcome that are deeply rooted in all major religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

FRANCE TO CONVENE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE JAN. 15 TO RELAUNCH THE (ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN) PEACE PROCESS: Following the Dec. 23 adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, French Ambassador François Delattre commented on his government’s plans to hold an international conference this month to relaunch the (Israeli-Palestinian) peace process.

“Like the Palestinians, the Israelis have a vital interest in peace, which can be based only on a two-state solution. That is the aim of the French initiative to try to relaunch the peace process. In that respect, following the important ministerial meeting of 3 June, France decided to organize an international conference on 15 January 2017 in Paris, whose goal will be to introduce the contributions of the international community to relaunch the negotiation process and conclude and implement a peace agreement. …The resolution that we have adopted today and the Paris international conference represent two sides of the same coin, both aimed at reiterating our shared attachment to the two-state solution and creating conditions conducive to that end. We hope that the resolution and the French initiative will be the first important steps towards relaunching a credible political process that we will need to pursue collectively in the weeks and months ahead.” More than 70 governments are expected to attend. Israel has declined the invitation.

GLOBAL TERRORISM INDEX FINDS DEATHS FROM TERRORISM DECREASING: The Institute for Economics and Peace is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit think tank with offices in Sydney, New York and Mexico City. Based on data from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland, the institute recently published “Global Terrorism Index 2016.”

Some selected key findings include:

Deaths from terrorism decreased by 10 pecent in 2015 to 29,376. This is the first decrease in the number of deaths recorded since 2010. Of the last 16 years, the worst year for terrorism was 2014 with 93 countries experiencing an attack and 32,765 people killed. Iraq and Nigeria had the biggest decreases with 5,556 fewer deaths (than 2014).

In countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, deaths from terrorism dramatically increased in 2015, rising by 650 percent when compared to 2014. Since 2006, 98 percent of all deaths from terrorism in the US have resulted from attacks carried out by lone actors, resulting in 156 deaths.

In 2015 four groups were responsible for 74 per cent of all deaths from terrorism: the Islamic State group, Boko Haram, the Taliban and al-Qa’ida. The Islamic State group surpassed Boko Haram as the deadliest terrorist group in 2015. It undertook attacks in 252 different cities in 2015 and was responsible for 6,141 deaths in the year. Boko Haram had an 18 percent reduction in the number of people it killed in 2015, responsible for 5,478 deaths during the year.

LOWC 2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Negotiations toward a global compact on migration.

Gender justice.

Supporting humanitarian action.

Sustainable development goals.

Peace in the Middle East.

Indigenous issues.

HIV and AIDS.

Children and youth.

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, Director

ELCA.org/advocacy

TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH: January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. One of the ways you can help prevent human trafficking is by raising awareness. Share graphics and messages this month on Facebook and Twitter via #ELCAadvocacy, and share the Interfaith Toolkit on Human Trafficking. For further prayer and discernment, find out what the ELCA has to say about Human Trafficking by clicking here.

HOUSING AND ADVOCACY BLOG: Housing and homelessness issues didn’t garner much attention during the last presidential campaign, but rising housing costs stacked against leveled wages continue to put pressure on families across the country. Support through shelter ministries from congregations is becoming even more essential for those struggling in the community – and advocacy in 2017 can make a real difference in public dialogue. Read more on the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

MIGRATION AND AMMPARO: While it is still unclear how the new Congress and administration plan to tackle migration issues, many advocates are concerned about rumored policies that could harm children and families seeking safety outside of their countries of origin. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which ensures that most unaccompanied children are screened by a child-welfare expert for trafficking, will be up for reauthorization this year. This means that some of the protections it provides to vulnerable communities may be stripped. ELCA Advocacy will continue to be vigilant in following additional policies that may make it difficult for children and families seeking safety to be granted international protection in the U.S, such as changes to the asylum system or tougher border policies.

CHILD NUTRITION AND HUNGER UPDATE: 114th Congress did not reauthorize and update Child Nutrition programs last year, despite hard-fought legislation passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Lacking reauthorization, most of the old nutrition policies that fund school lunches and child-hunger programs will continue to run on autopilot, even though the law expired in 2015. As voiced by thousands of Lutheran advocates last year, these programs have much-needed room for expansion and improvement – and should be updated with common-sense improvements in 2017. Continue to follow the ELCA Advocacy updates and alerts as the new Congress prepares the critical legislative timetables.

The Nativity story is challenging to wrestle with at times. Often we describe a peaceful birth scene, in a manger, in the little town of Bethlehem. The promised savior is born and greeted by an awesome host of angels, shepherds and wise men. Yet, this story neglects some of the historical realities of Jesus’s birth. His parents, Joseph and Mary, weren’t visiting Bethlehem for fun; instead by decree of the Roman occupying force they were forced to return to Bethlehem to be counted in a census. A near-term Mary probably wasn’t enthusiastic about her multi-day journey. And while the biblical narrative suggests that Joseph and Mary could have afforded to have stayed at the inn there was no room and they were compelled to rest in a humble stable. Jesus enters the world not with plush amenities, but to a stable, away from his parents’ home. Shortly after his birth, he and his parents are forced to flee to evade his killing. The Nativity tells the story of a Jesus, who comes to us marginalized by circumstances and under the domination of an occupying power.

Our church has affirmed that working for justice with people on the margins is doing God’s will. As a Christian, I view this as a moral issue—one that often hits the most vulnerable hardest. People with and without housing alike are a part of our church. We know that congregations and shelter ministries perform amazing work in direct service and support in our calling to love our neighbor. Using our voices for advocacy and calling for public change is another way to serve that calling.

Housing and homelessness didn’t garner a lot of attention during the last presidential campaign. After such a rancorous and polarizing election, many of the issues brought to the fore of the debates now seem to be charged by partisan grudges and political gridlock. Over the next several years, homelessness and unaffordable housing will inevitably draw our attention because housing costs continue to rise sharply and many of us will be forced to struggle even more to keep a roof over our heads.

There is a good chance that you’ve noticed the rising costs of housing already. If you’re feeling really burdened by a sharp mortgage or rent increase, you’re not alone. The stability of our housing infrastructure is starting to fall apart around us. While the U.S. economy is still growing, spiking housing costs and leveled wages across the country are increasing instability for many hard-working families. This should concern us.

Affordable housing programs are often the best tools local governments can use to help people get off the street and back into a supportive community. They work remarkably well, and offer people with limited opportunity a chance to rise out of poverty. But housing programs are often the very last to see any increases in federal investment; because of this, the cycle of poverty continues.

The support of shelter ministries by congregations is becoming even more essential for those struggling in the community. People of faith can also be instrumental in bringing leaders together. The people in our pews are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. In a time when polarization raises barriers and reduces bipartisan communication, religious communities are uniquely equipped to be a bridge between two sides. Lawmakers care deeply about the work and needs of centers of worship in their districts, and must hear from their constituents that poverty is a critical issue.

So what should we do right NOW? We can begin by committing to public engagement and bringing more people into public life in the new year. It is never too soon to get involved. Here’s how:

Write emails to your lawmakers and urge them to get ready for work on housing. There are several was the new White House Administration and Congress could make a difference by addressing housing issues in 2017—This can start by passing a national budget that supports the most vulnerable.
Find friends in your congregation and encourage them to connect with their lawmakers. The more people who express to their lawmakers the importance of working to improve homelessness the more likely the impact.
Stay up-to-date on housing and poverty issues as they come through Congress by joining the ELCA Advocacy Network.

At the start of the Christmas story, Jesus began his life without a place to call home. He was not only our Savior, but also a teacher and an advocate. Jesus comes this Christmas not just for the healthy, but for the sick and those who need his embrace most. As we renew ourselves this Advent in the message about the amazing power of God’s redeeming love, I hope together we can rediscover that strong Biblical tradition and reflect on what we are freed through Christ to do in the coming year. If you are interested in engaging further on this issue and connect with other advocates, contact us on social media, or at washingtonoffice@elca.org. In the meantime, I wish you a very blessed Christmas, and start of the new year.

This Advent season is an opportunity to reflect on what faithful advocacy means. Join the ELCA Advocacy in our Advent Devotions Series. Please share with friends and family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4w7cPM-Wjo&feature=youtu.be

This week’s devotional is given by Ruth Ivory-Moore. She works at ELCA Advocacy.

The lectionary readings for this Sunday are:

Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25

Blessings

ELCA Advocacy

“Never give up” at CSW61

ELCA Advocacy response to presidential executive order on “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth”

What’s at Stake: The Importance of U.S. Support for the United Nations

March Advocacy Update

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

California

Colorado

New Mexico

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Southeastern Synod

Texas

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Stewarding God’s Creation: Our Choices Matter

February Advocacy Update

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

2017 ELCA Advocacy priorities

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

California

Colorado

New Mexico

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Southeastern Synod

Texas

Washington

Wisconsin

Lutheran Advocacy in 2017

ELCA ADVOCACY’S MAJOR PRIORITIES IN 2017:

Visit our ELCA Advocacy Action Center or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on all our advocacy priorities.

January Advocacy Update

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

California

Colorado

Minnesota

New Mexico

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Texas

Sign up for Weekly Witness today!

Washington

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Marginalized Jesus and Homelessness

Advent Devotions Series: Fourth Sunday of Advent