By Ruth Ivory-Moore

^“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”  (Galatians 3:28 NSRV)

Without justification or rationality, we have injected gender bias and inequality into our mode of operation and thinking. This rejects the created goodness and dignity God gives to every human creature and violates the reconciliation accomplished through Jesus Christ. Biases not only prevent those most qualified from working but deny and attack gifts (given by the Holy Spirit) of all on the basis of gender.

Gender inequality is especially prominent in the climate change arena.  Climate change has the greatest impact upon people who are vulnerable, marginalized and the poor. They are often the least equipped to deal with natural hazards, like extreme weather, droughts, floods, and hurricanes, which often result from climate change. For populations that depend on natural resources, like firewood for cooking, the situation can become grave. This plight describes the situation that many women face. Additionally, women often are shut out from participating in decision-making processes and labor markets which compounds inequalities.

But in 2015 the global community took significant steps to address gender disparity by adopting the Climate Action Plan (henceforth Plan) and the 2030 Agenda (henceforth Agenda). The Plan is an outgrowth of the December 2015 Paris Agreement, which embedded gender equality and empowerment of women. The Agenda was adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. Both were highlighted during the first week of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Bonn, which took place from May 8-18.

Gender Climate Action Plan: The Climate Action Plan includes five key areas: capacity building; knowledge sharing and communication; gender balance and participation; coherence within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other UN agencies; gender-responsive implementation and means of Implementation; and monitoring and reporting. Each are critical to integrating gender into the climate discussion. (Photo right: Intergovernmental Negotiation Process at work on Gender Action Plan)     

 

(Photo left: The opening session of the Gender workshop featured encouraging words from Patricia Espinosa (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)) shown at the far right)

Gender Equality, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the 2030 Agenda: The conference also featured a  panel presentation on the 2030 Agenda  which among other things identifies impediments to women’s participation in climate change policy development processes. The 2030 Agenda consists of 17 goals that includes zero hunger, no poverty and gender equality. To better understand gender equality the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) developed an analysis of the status of gender equality in national climate policy in light of the Paris Agreement. In implementing the Paris Agreement countries submit their plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each country commits to reducing emissions by what is termed their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The UNDP analysis presents a framework for integrating gender equality into NDC planning and implementation.  Women, because of their responsibilities in many societies have firsthand knowledge of the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions.  Women must be included in all phases of solution development and implementation.

But as identified by the UNDP there are impediments/gaps that limit participation. The gaps include: how to implement developed policies for results; capacity development at all governmental levels; inadequate coordination on gender issues; and processes that promote participation of women.

Besides the need for gender equity, because it is the right thing to do, women are valuable in negotiations. According to the United Nations women’s participation at the political level tend to yield greater negotiated results, often increasing cooperation across party and ethnic lines and delivering more sustainable peace.

Photo right: Gender Equality in National Climate Action:  Planning for Gender-Responsive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) panel discussion. Pictured from left to right are the panelists:  Barbara Schaefer (German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety); Stephen Gold (Head, Climate Change, UNDP); Fleur Newman (Gender Focal Point, UNFCCC); Felope Osses (Senior Climate Change Negotiator for  the Ministry of  Environment, Government of Chile); Sandee Recabar (Chief, Implementation Oversight Division, Philippines Climate Change Commission; and Stephen King’uyu (Deputy Director Mitigation, Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources of Kenya)

Women are still not equal participants in the processes to address climate change. However, it appears that internationally we are finally moving in the right direction. ELCA Advocacy is playing a role as a member of the ACT Alliance Climate Change Group.  ACT Alliance is a coalition of 144 churches and church-related organizations working together in over 100 countries. ELCA Advocacy will lead an ACT Alliance Climate Change Principles subgroup that will cover gender issues.  This subgroup is tasked with developing concise policy briefings (plus lobby points) well in advance of COP23.  It is important that we all work together to remedy gender disparity while seeking God’s guidance.

“Direct us, Lord God, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and extend to us    your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.”  (See Evangelical Lutheran Worship.)

 

Today’s post is from Ellen Acconcia, staff at Christ the King in Great Falls, VA.

 

Pastor Hank Langknecht, of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Great Falls Virginia, recently asked his congregation the following questions:

How does a tree praise? How does a tick praise? A raccoon? The south wind?

The questions came during his sermon delivered on June 11 at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Virginia as the congregation worshiped in the outdoors. Not simply, “moving the indoor worship outdoors,” as Pastor Hank noted, the service focused on the group’s natural surroundings, the moving waters of Colvin Run; the listening for a bird call, the organic elements used in the preparation for the service.

 

 

Langknecht noted that worshiping along the run allowed him to reflect on the fact that the waterway is currently being remediated by a wetlands conservation engineering firm. “It was an interesting (though unspoken) background symbol for how humankind interacts with natur,” said Langknecht, “Problems arise (human generated or not) and we try to fix them … do we always make things better in the process?”

 

Pastor Hank concluded his sermon,

The fulfillment of God’s mission occurs

when all of creation gathers at the river

the crystal tide forever…

… that flows by the throne of God

… and flows out to bring life and healing

to everything …

Shall we gather at the river?

We shall!

 

 

 

The group then gathered for fellowship and a picnic lunch at the service’s conclusion.

 

 

 

Photo Information: With a focus on their natural surroundings, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Great Falls, Virginia gathered on Sunday, June 11 to worship. Images courtesy Christ the King Lutheran Church, Great Falls, 2017. www.gflutheran.org

 

 

Let’s talk about HIV.

Maybe you’re thinking “What? HIV? I thought this blog was about racial justice.” or “Isn’t that issue over now?”

But consider this: as of July 2015, African Americans made up 13.3% of the US Population.¹ Yet African Americans made up 48% of HIV infections in 2015.² Latino folks made up 17% of the US population and 24% of HIV infections. Similar statistical trends hold true for other minority communities in the US.

This, siblings in Christ, is an injustice.

It is an injustice that black and brown communities do not have equal access to education about HIV, HIV testing, or sustained healthcare. It is an injustice that black Americans are over eight times more likely to test positive for HIV than white Americans. It is an injustice that this reality means that many people in this country get to believe that “HIV is over” when it is clearly not.

Not only is HIV not over, friends, and it is threatening resurgence now more than ever before. The US government is rescinding aid to those suffering from HIV both domestically and abroad. The new budget proposed by the current administration outlines cuts to Medicaid and the CDC that would be devastating for HIV patients in the U.S. along with cuts to the Global AIDS Fund and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Initiative (the latter enacted by President W. Bush) that would leave communities around the world without HIV education or treatment.³

The risk is again growing, especially among communities of color. The U.S. government’s commitment to care for HIV-positive citizens is waning. Our church must step up.

The ELCA outlines its own call to fight the HIV epidemic in the ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS, adopted by the Churchwide Assembly in 2009⁴. This Strategy acknowledges the realities of HIV in the U.S. and around the world, the church’s shortcomings in addressing these realities in the past, and our renewed commitment to walking alongside all who are affected by HIV – including disproportionately affected communities of color. The Strategy calls us to act through education, theological reflection, worship, and advocacy to ensure access to HIV resources for all.

I work as the Program Associate for this Strategy, and want to offer myself and the ELCA as a resource for you and your communities of faith as you wrestle with issues of healthcare, racial justice, and faith. Over the coming weeks and months I look forward to working with the ELCA Racial Justice program and with you all, communities across the ELCA, to tackle these issues together.

So how can you get involved?

1. Be sure to check our Facebook page for updated resources and information: https://www.facebook.com/ELCAHIVandAIDS/
2. Join us!

_{This year, our church will intentionally reflect on the call we accepted in the Strategy on HIV/AIDS on three separate days:}

• _{On June 27th, National HIV Testing Day – we encourage all ELCA members to lead by example in their communities and get tested for HIV, and to talk about HIV with their families and congregations.}
• _{On September 10th, “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday, we encourage ELCA congregations to spend this intentional day of service reaching out to organizations that serve People Living with HIV.}
• On December 1, World AIDS Day, we encourage all ELCA congregations to take time to learn more about the HIV epidemic in the US and around the world, and to incorporate HIV-specific language into their Sunday worship services.

3. Contact the ELCA Strategy Team with any questions, ideas, or for additional resources: sullivan@elca.org

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:26 that “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

Our HIV-positive friends in Christ are suffering. Disproportionately they are poor or black or brown or LGBTQ+ or women. Our church will not be silent about this injustice. We will pray for healing and we will get to work to advocate with and for People Living with HIV/AIDS together.

 

Join us.

Savanna Sullivan
Program Associate, Strategy on HIV/AIDS

 

 

¹ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/

² https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/racialethnic/africanamericans/index.html

³ http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/05/25/529873431/trumps-proposed-budget-would-cut-2-2-billion-from-global-health-spending

⁴ http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/ELCA_Strategy_on_HIV_and_AIDS.pdf

 

There is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity Under Heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Pointing Forward:

So let’s consider the 5 P’s of gardening:

Planning

Planting

Perspiring

Picking, and

Putting to bed.

We’ve planned, we’ve planted, and if we haven’t already, now is the time to Perspire!

Once you have planted your garden, there are no two ways about it—keeping a garden in good shape is hard work! But gardening can also help keep you in good shape! One way to work through the toil of hoeing and pulling weeds is to think of it as part of your daily workout. Yes, you can count working in the garden as part of your regular exercise routine! In fact, it can be part of a weight loss plan if you are so inclined. It is estimated that most people will use about 230 calories per hour while gardening. Of course, that varies from person to person and depends on how hard you are working. If you’d like to get more specific for your body weight, height and gender, the following website might be helpful: https://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_burned_Gardening_general.html.

Of course, most of us may not use gardening as a weight loss plan. Another way to approach the work of gardening is to use your time in the garden as a time of meditation. Some may choose to meditate on scripture during their gardening time. One verse you might use as a source of contemplation is Psalm 128:2 which states:

“You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours” (NIV).

The often sweaty work of maintaining gardens and fields has been part of the spiritual discipline of men and women religious in monasteries and convents for centuries. St. Benedict, for example, believed that they should rejoice in this labor, “for then are they monks in truth, if they live by the work of their hands, as did also our forefathers and the Apostles” (Rule of St. Benedict, #48). Martin Luther was no fan of monasteries, but he, too, believed that tending to fields and gardens was work that was “pleasing to God [and] instituted by God” (Luther, Lectures on Genesis.) For both monastics and Luther, digging, planting, and harvesting provided an opportunity to reflect on God’s good creation—and to participate in it.

If you are planning to donate some of your harvest to the local food bank, you might consider meditating on Acts 20:35: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (NIV).

I also think that gardening is part of a commonsense approach to life that gives us all tools to help God help us through the production of our own food supply. So, when I am in that mode, I contemplate Proverbs 12:11: “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense” (NIV). Sort of a bit of humor thrown in at the end of that verse!

What is involved in keeping your garden in good shape?

There are four basic steps in keeping a garden in good shape once it is planted:

1. Watering;
2. Fertilizing;
3. Weed control; and
4. Pest control.

For watering the general rule of thumb for most gardens is that you need the equivalent of about 1 inch of rain per week. If you are in a dry climate, this amount may be a bit higher. One deep watering that gets to the roots of the plants is more efficient and has a better hydrating effect than does several light waterings. Consider using a soaker hose that you might leave on the garden for an extended time. Some gardeners have developed an automated drip system that can be place in ground to help direct the water to the plant’s root system.

Linking Back

Remember when we discussed composting in the second blog in this series? The second step in keeping your garden in good shape is fertilizing. If you have been composting all Winter and Spring, you may have a great source of fertilizer in your compost bin. You will need to apply compost or fertilizer every 3-4 weeks during the growing season. There are also several very good fertilizers on the market. One that my sister-in-law uses is Happy Frog (http://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/category/happy-frog.html). It really is an asset with vegetables. We have had good success using this with tomatoes.

Weed control can be taxing. One good way to stay ahead of weeds is by using mulch, such as leaves, bark, or hay. We used an old rug several years to cover big spaces. These mulching methods cover the areas where weeds might grow and make it difficult for weeds to find sunlight to nourish their development.

But we are almost always forced to weed. One good way is to wait until you’ve watered, then pull the weeds by hand when the soil is still moist and the weed is more likely to come out by the root. If you get the entire root, that weed will not be able grow back.

Pest control may be an issue. Hand picking small insect invasions is helpful but does not always solve the problem. Trying biological methods such as ladybugs may help offset some insect infestations, such as aphids. For more ways of dealing with specific pests, the following website may be useful: http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm.

For more information about these steps you might want to access the following website: http://www.gardenguides.com/68971-basic-vegetable-gardening.html.

Now let’s consider a recipe using this year’s early harvest. If you planted your potatoes early, by July you may have some small potato tubers ready to harvest. If your peas are doing well, you may have some pea pods ready to pick. One of our family favorites is creamed new potatoes and peas with the early season harvest that was a delicious addition to our Fourth of July celebration meal. You may substitute the milk and cream in the recipe below with vegetable stock and/or a non-dairy milk such as almond milk to provide a vegan option. You may also substitute margarine for butter. To make this a gluten-free option, you can use cornstarch as a thickener instead of flour. Make sure you mix the cornstarch with cold water before stirring the cornstarch mixture into the liquid ingredients.

Until next time, remember,

There is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity Under Heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Blessings to you!

Creamed Garden Potatoes and Peas

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

MAKES: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 3 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter (margarine may be substituted)
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups 2% milk (non-fat milk, vegetable stock, or non-dairy milk may be substituted)
• 1 cup half-and-half cream (non-fat milk, vegetable stock, or non-dairy milk may be substituted)

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-12 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, place peas and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Drain.
3. In a large saucepan, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended; gradually add milk and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in potatoes and peas; heat through. Yield: 12 servings.

 

Nutritional Information (per 2/3 cup serving)

Calories: 156

Fat: 5g (3g saturated fat)

Cholesterol: 18mg

Sodium: 345mg

Carbohydrates: 22g (6g sugars, 3g fiber)

Protein: 6g

Diabetic exchanges: 1½ starch, 1 fat

In this series by guest writer Ethan Bergman, we will consider the 5 P’s of gardening – planning, planting, perspiring, picking, and putting to bed – over the course of the next few months. Ethan is a Master of Divinity student in the Distributive Learning program at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Bergman is also the associate dean in the College of Education and Professional Studies and professor of food science and nutrition at Central Washington University, Ellensburg. He was named CWU Distinguished University Professor in 2001-2002 and was named by the Washington State Dietetic Association as Outstanding Registered Dietitian of the Year in 2000. He is a past delegate and past President of the American Dietetic Association as well as speaker of the Academy’s House of Delegates. He has served on the Academy’s Educator’s Task Force on Education Reform in Dietetics Education and on the Evidence-Based Practice Committee. Bergman earned his doctorate from Washington State University.

 

Photo by Tori Soper, a Chicago Commercial photographer specializing in corporate and editorial photography as well as event coverage for meetings and conventions.

 

At the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, ELCA World Hunger staff fielded questions and gathered feedback from the folks packing a room in the New Orleans’ Ernest Morial Convention Center. For an hour, we shared updates, heard comments about our resources and programs, and listened to stories of congregations responding to hunger and poverty in communities across the ELCA. At the very end of our time, amidst the ruffling of papers and gathering of bags as people prepared to leave for the next session, an energetic man approached the microphone. In a few short words, he silenced the room with his story.

“I have sat here and listened as everyone has talked,” he began, a thin smile on his face. “Now, I decided, I want to talk.” We sat riveted as he described how the violence of civil war came to his hometown in Sudan and how it claimed the lives of so many of his friends and neighbors. He told us how he chased after his brother, both of them running alongside other young boys, toward a truck that promised safety and an escape from the conflict. The truck bore the letters “LWF,” an acronym he didn’t know at the time stood for Lutheran World Federation. His older brother pushed him on the truck, and he began a years-long journey, first to a refugee camp and then to Michigan, where he settled and started a family.

“L. W. F. Before I even knew what those letters meant,” he said, “they saved my life.”

Today marks the 17^th annual World Refugee Day, a day set aside by the United Nations to draw attention to the challenges faced by people around the world who have fled their homes – by choice or compulsion – seeking safety, opportunity, and a place to call home. It is a chance to celebrate the individuals and families who have built new lives in new places, to mourn those who have lost their lives while on the move, and, for Lutherans, to remember our own history as migrants and refugees.

The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 65 million people are displaced from their homes around the world, with more than 22 million fleeing violence, poverty, and persecution as refugees. This is an almost-unprecedented number of people on the move, and the work of nonprofit organizations, churches and community partners accompanying refugees and migrants has rarely been so important.

Through ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response, our church accompanies our neighbors in their home communities, in transit and temporary shelters, in refugee camps, and in their new homes. The intersection between conflict, migration and food insecurity is complex but undeniable. In a study released earlier this year, the World Food Programme (WFP) found that for every percentage increase in food insecurity, refugee outflows from a country increase by 1.9 percent, demonstrating the significant role food insecurity plays in forcing people from their homes. Moreover, the WFP found that food insecurity also plays a role in increasing the intensity and duration of armed conflict, another significant factor that pushes people to seek safety in other regions and countries.

Working through companions and partners, ELCA World Hunger supports projects aimed at sustainably bolstering food security, making it possible for people to feed themselves and their families in their own hometowns. For those who cannot stay in their homes, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) administers refugee camps like Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya. Kakuma, located in northwestern Kenya, was established by the UN in 1992 with a capacity for 125,000 refugees, most of whom were fleeing Sudan. Today, more than 160,000 refugees live in the camp. While it was never intended to be a permanent home, many refugees spend upwards of ten years living in Kakuma, waiting to return to their homes or to resettle in a new place.

Adapting to life in Kakuma is not easy, but many residents, with the support of LWF programs, find ways to use their talents and skills while in the camp. Programs that focus on education and improved livelihoods, supported in part by ELCA World Hunger, address some of the critical barriers residents face. One key opportunity for economic empowerment for residents is through village savings and loan programs (VSLAs). In a VSLA, community members pool their savings and provide small loans to individuals to start or grow a business. Once the business turns a profit, the money is repaid and loaned out to another VSLA member. This gives folks in Kakuma the resources they need to support themselves and their families. Moreover, much of the work administered by LWF, including efforts toward education, economic empowerment, and human rights, is done with the participation of both refugees in the camp and members of the local host community, many of whom face their own challenges related to poverty and hunger.

KTN News in Kenya recently featured a story of a thriving bakery that started through a loan from a VSLA:

 

 

Programs like this are important ways our church accompanies our neighbors as they build lives for themselves far from home. As the number of displaced people around the world increases, accompaniment of internally displaced persons, refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers continues to meet a critical need.

At the churchwide assembly, we were reminded of that need and the role that the ELCA and our companions can play in a world facing a refugee crisis. But we were also reminded of how much our communities stand to gain from the gifts refugees and migrants have to offer. The former “lost boy of Sudan” who didn’t know what “LWF” meant when he first saw the letters is now in the TEEM program of the ELCA, developing his skills of leadership to offer his talents within the church he now calls his own.

 

Today’s post is from Savanna Sullivan, Program Associate for the Strategy on HIV/AIDS with the ELCA.

 

As Lutherans, we believe in the power of prayer. We believe in the power of song, of the gospel, of community. We believe in the power of worship.

There is power in calling upon God to touch the lives of people or groups who society has stigmatized or ignored by name. There is power in asking forgiveness for the ways we as the church have contributed to the perpetuation of that stigmatization and marginalization. There is power in reaching out to God for health and wholeness and healing; and all of this is exactly what the ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS has tasked our church to do.

This Strategy was adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2009, and has since served as a guide to outline the ways we, in ministry, walk alongside all whose lives have been touched by HIV. Worship is a huge part of that ministry, and so we call upon ELCA congregations to be intentional in their inclusion of language that lifts up People Living with HIV specifically in worship services.

This year, our church will intentionally reflect on the call we accepted in the Strategy on HIV/AIDS on three separate days:

• On June 27th, National HIV Testing Day – we encourage all ELCA members to lead by example in their communities and get tested for HIV, and to talk about HIV with their families and congregations.
• On September 10th, “God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday, we encourage ELCA congregations to spend this intentional day of service reaching out to organizations that serve People Living with HIV.
• On December 1, World AIDS Day, we encourage all ELCA congregations to take time to learn more about the HIV epidemic in the US and around the world, and to incorporate HIV-specific language into their Sunday worship services.

Join us! Below, you will find suggested petitions for prayers of the church that might be included in such a worship. (You will also find hymn suggestions and a World AIDS Day liturgy linked at the end of the post.) These petitions were written by different members of the ELCA churchwide staff, state public policy offices, and partner organizations – and identify many of the communities who disproportionally bear the burden of the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world.

 

 Suggested Prayer Petitions:

 

Abundant God, You gave us a beautiful world with enough for all, but we have selfishly squandered your gifts and erected walls that prevent others from enjoying these gifts.
By your grace, turn our hearts toward one another, so that we may walk together and work together, accompanying each other toward a world without hunger or disease, without HIV. We pray that the systemic barriers that keep us and our neighbors from health, from sustenance, and from one another may one day crumble; so that we may all break bread together as one body and be made full in your Holy name.
Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

• Phil LaDeur, ELCA World Hunger

 

We give thanks for the progress reached in understanding, reducing and treating HIV/AIDS. We also acknowledge that the pandemic of HIV/AIDS continues to be one of the most serious health concerns in the world.

We pray for individuals, families, and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by this pandemic—both globally and domestically.

We pray for the silence, shame and stereotypes associated with HIV/AIDS to be broken. We pray that greater access in health care, treatment, testing, and education be provided.

We ask for a greater commitment from our church to educate, equip, and implement strategies to eliminate HIV/AIDS. We pray that our congregation be a house of hope and healing.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

• Judith Roberts, ELCA Racial Justice

 

We pray for those in the LGBTQIA community who have been affected by HIV. Hold in your gentle embrace those who have to hide their identity or their status out of fear and stigma. Shower with compassion and love those who face a new diagnosis, dating rejection, health issues, or long-term survivor’s guilt.  Guide our hearts, O God of Healing, to work to remove barriers in our hearts and our communities for all those seeking care and understanding.  In your Holy Name, we pray.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

• Leo Bancroft, ReconcilingWorks Board Member

 

You are a God of love, justice and compassion.

We pray for women who live with HIV/AIDS– especially those who feel overlooked. We pray for women who fight for the control of their own bodies, and women who have been victims of violence. Let their stories be heard with compassion and love. Grant us the love and compassion to create a space to listen and support each other.

Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

• Marit Johnson, ELCA Justice for Women and Lutheran Volunteer Corps

 

Additional Resource:

Includes World AIDS Day liturgy, hymn suggestions, scriptural suggestions, and links to ecumenical resources.

 

http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/World_AIDS_Day.pdf

 

 

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The ELCA welcomes our new additions-Haley Toresdahl, Caitlin Sellnow, and Phillip LaDeur to the ELCA World Hunger staff!
Learn more about them and their passions here!
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Haley Toresdahl
Hello! My name is Haley Toresdahl. I am originally from West Des Moines, IA and called Windsor Heights Lutheran Church my home congregation before moving to Chicago. I am a graduate of Roanoke College in Salem, VA where I studied Political Science. I then had internship experience with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Office and Feed the Children public policy office in Washington, D.C. as well as local community engagement that shaped my studies and understanding of domestic hunger and poverty.

I have had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Young Adult in Global Mission in the inaugural Cambodia country program following college. I also lived and served with Life With Dignity, a Cambodian organization focused on integrated rural development supported by gifts to ELCA World Hunger, and additionally taught English in the community. I am very excited to share these stories and experiences in my work with ELCA World Hunger and I’m grateful to be part of the ways ELCA World Hunger is working toward a world where all are fed.

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Caitlin Sellnow
Hi! My name is Caitlin Sellnow, and I joined the World Hunger team about a month ago as a Development Assistant. I’ll be helping mostly with congregational support. Before I joined the ELCA churchwide staff, I worked at the front desk of the Department of Molecular Biosciences at Northwestern University. (I learned a little bit about Molecular Biosciences there, but a lot more about making coffee for Molecular Bioscientists.) I am also still a student at Northwestern, working on a degree in creative nonfiction writing.

Before I moved to Chicago, I was a member of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Baltimore, where I worked as a Community Builder in a neighborhood called Remington. I helped with a lot of community dinners, homework clubs, vegetable giveaways and health fairs. I also tried to help low-income neighborhood residents access government resources, from housing grants to state IDs.

I don’t know how important my presence was to Remington, but I know that Remington was important to me. My work there connected me with people far outside of the Minnesota bubble where I grew up. That exposure made me uncomfortable at first, but it became crucial to the way I understand God and live out my own faith. Now, I’m excited to be part of a team that helps to connect other people in Lutheran Congregations with the wider world.

Outside of work and school, I spend time singing in choir, trying to de-stress my neurotic foster cat, and undertaking elaborate baking projects that never turn out quite like the pictures on Pinterest, but are delicious anyway. I am so honored to walk this road with all of you!

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Phillip LaDeur

Hello! I’m Phillip LaDeur and I am the new Program Assistant for World Hunger Education.  I am incredibly excited to be in this role and hope I can use my background in education to continue and grow the tremendous work my team has been engaged in.  Prior to this position, I was a special education teacher for a school district in Carol Stream.  Education has always been one of my greatest passions.  As an educator, I believe that education is a lifelong, intrinsic process that is chosen and driven by the learner.  I have been a public school teacher for the past three years, but have been involved in recreational and academic program development for the past seven years total.

In addition to my teaching career, I have been blessed to have a very involved volunteer life at Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in West Chicago.  I have been the volunteer youth pastor and have helped lead music worship there for the past four years and continue to enjoy spending as much time as I can in helping our congregation grow together.  Saint Andrew is involved in an amazing mission in trying to bring two communities together as one congregation. If you are ever interested in seeing a bilingual service in action, or are just in the area, let me know!

I love to share music and have been a part of the ELCA Glocal Musicians for the past two years.  I am currently trying to teach myself the banjo and ukulele with very little consistency and enjoy spending time with my fiancé in our home in Aurora. She is not so crazy about me not having summers off anymore, but despite that adjustment, I truly could not be more excited about having the opportunity to play a small role in this inspiring mission.

By Alexandra Perez

President Trump released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2018 on May 23^rd. The budget reflects many of the promises that then-candidate Trump made to reign in non-defense spending. One area facing deep cuts is foreign assistance, which can be found in the budgets of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Investment in foreign countries that are affected by poverty and lacking economic development have historically been welcomed on both sides of the aisle. President Trump’s proposal poses potential threats to this important support for many of the world’s most hungry, thirsty, poverty-stricken, and vulnerable.

The savings in President Trump’s budget proposal on foreign aid total about $19 billion. This would effectively cut out one third of the current budget, resulting in the elimination of important programs within the State Department and USAID. The proposal includes reductions in global health programs and the complete elimination of the Title II program (emergency and development food aid). To many of us, it is difficult to put into perspective what consequences these kinds of changes in our budget can have, because we are not directly affected.

Why should we care about what the Administration wants to cut internationally, as Americans and as Lutherans?

As Lutherans, we are called to live out our faith by ensuring justice in social structures, because the Church has the responsibility to do so.[1] We acknowledge that “massive hunger and poverty, alongside abundance and wealth, violate the bonds of our common humanity”[2]. This encourages us to protect basic resources, including nutritious food and clean water, for our most vulnerable brothers and sisters around the world.

Lutherans have long served our neighbors in other countries. Through ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and partner organizations, we support investments in agricultural and sustainability, address emergencies when they happen, and work to support the development of resilient communities. Our commitment to these efforts is enhanced by encouraging members of Congress to also support these programs through foreign aid.

Through foreign aid, displaced peoples in Sudan that are affected by current civil war can access nutritious food for their families and plan for a future with hope. With these same programs, those living in poverty in Bangladesh can receive agricultural training to be more self-sufficient. Reducing international poverty through food aid has positive benefits that help to stabilize many of the weakest regions by providing the necessities to survive, like food and water.

The current cuts proposed make up less than 1% of the U.S. budget, but have huge implications for those around the world who need assistance. The good news is that, these proposed cuts are just that, only proposals. The power to make final budget decisions rests with Congress. Since they are elected officials, we as voters also have influence over the process.

As disciples of Christ, we prayerfully use our voices to speak with those who are called to serve in public office. As the budget process continues to develop in upcoming months, it is important that we stand up for those who do not have as loud a voice by encouraging a budget that serves the common good, both domestically and internationally.

[1] Social Statement, “The Church in Society: A Lutheran Statement” (1991) p. 3

[2] Social Statement, “For Peace in God’s World” (1995) p. 15

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

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ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director

ELCA.org/advocacy

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS: Last month, presiding bishops of the ELCA and The Episcopal Church issued a joint invitation to a season of prayer, fasting and advocacy. Concerned about proposed deep cuts to programs that are vital to people struggling with poverty and hunger, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shared a video inviting others to join her in a day of fasting each month, prayer and public witness. ELCA Advocacy and the Episcopal Office of Government Relations will share action alerts, resources, prayers and other ways to take action around the fasting days each month. More resources and information will be shared before the next fasting day on June 21.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2017 ELCA HUNGER ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM: The ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellowship, a new program made possible by ELCA World Hunger, is a year-long transformative experience that combines leadership development and faith formation with impactful advocacy that moves us toward an end to hunger and a just world where all are fed. Hunger Advocacy Fellows will actively shape the ELCA’s understanding of what it means to be church as they gain experiences that utilize and develop their leadership abilities and gifts while serving in a Lutheran state advocacy office. 2017 placement sites include:

• LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINNESOTA

105 University Ave W, St. Paul, Minn. www.lutheranadvocacymn.org

• TEXAS INTERFAITH CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY

200 E 30^th St, Austin, Tex. 78705 texasimpact.org

• VIRGINIA INTERFAITH CENTER

411 E Grace St, Richmond, VA 23219 www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org

To apply, visit ELCA.org/careers

PRESIDENT’S BUDGET REQUEST: President Donald Trump sent his 2018 budget request to Congress May 23 – a wish list of sorts that shares the administration’s hopes and priorities for the annual budget. The budget blueprint makes many cuts to non-military programs across-the-board, many of which would be devastating to poor and hungry people. Some signature programs, such as the Community Service Block Grants that address long-term poverty in local communities, have been completely “zeroed out” in the budget proposal.

For international development, Trump also proposed a 30 percent cut to foreign assistance programs, with some accounts faring worse than others. If enacted, emergency migration and refugee assistance, global health programs, development and humanitarian assistance would receive the most significant reductions. It’s unlikely that Congress will agree to cut foreign assistance funds by that much, however, because the scale of cuts being proposed is quite big, much advocacy is needed to maintain consistent funding levels. The budget-writers in Congress will be preparing their own plan within the next few weeks. ELCA Advocacy will be preparing action alerts around the appropriations process in the summer and fall.

METHANE SAFEGUARDS UPHELD IN CONGRESS: On May 10, the Senate’s vote to repeal the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Methane Waste Rule failed on the Senate floor by a vote of 51-49. The BLM methane rule reduces excessive greenhouse gas waste on federal land, requiring oil and gas operators to use up-to-date technologies to better control leaks and emissions. The protection of the methane rule is a legislative victory for care for creation advocates in the faith community. ELCA Advocacy, Lutheran professors and theologians, and other leaders have supported the rule with action alerts and testimonies since 2015. The Trump administration has issued a review of the rule, but it will likely be several years before it is completed.

PARIS AND U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE: ELCA Advocacy issued a statement June 1, following Trump’s decision to begin the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. As believers in, but not of, the world, we pursue a multifaceted approach to living out our faith – modeling good stewardship of God’s creation through faith, policy, service and change.

ELCA Advocacy also attended the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, earlier this month. Progress was made on continuing the implementation of the Paris Agreement in advance of the COP23 meeting in November. Some of the areas being negotiated include maintaining transparency, climate finance and incorporation of gender policies.

CENTRAL AMERICA PRIORITIES: The U.S. and Mexico will be co-hosting a conference June 14-16 in Miami to discuss private investment and security goals around economic development and governance issues in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. ELCA Advocacy, along with other organizations sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressing concern over what appears as a discussion focused only on homeland security and militarization rather than prioritizing human rights and building an inclusive sustainable economy.

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

Dennis Frado, director

CLIMATE CHANGE, MIGRATION AND DISPLACEMENT – NEW PERSPECTIVES ON REGIONAL APPROACHES TO CLIMATE-INDUCED MIGRATION, DISPLACEMENT AND RELOCATION: On May 22 and 23, U.N. University hosted an event on climate change, migration and displacement. The panel was research-focused, including panelists with scholarly expertise on the issue.

One of the main messages was that seasonal migration is becoming long-term migration, while internal migration is becoming cross-border migration. There exists a vicious cycle between human displacement and environmental degradation. Professor Maxine Burkett, global fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, remarked that in her study of indigenous communities affected by climate change, the central tenant is  the community’s decision to migrate together, not as an individual or family decision. Dr. Susana Adamo, from the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University spoke of migration as a form of adaptation to climate change.

SECOND INFORMAL THEMATIC SESSION ON THE GLOBAL COMPACT ON MIGRATION: On May 22 and 23, member states held a second informal thematic session on: “addressing drivers of migration, including adverse effects of climate change, natural disasters and human-made crisis, through protection and assistance, sustainable development, poverty eradication, conflict prevention and resolution.” The session included robust participation by member states and members of civil society organizations.

The thematic session consisted of three panels: sustainable development and poverty eradication; human-made crisis as drivers of migration; and climate change as a driver of migration. An emphasis was put on the need for disaggregated data collection to influence global policy decisions and a need to revise national and international frameworks pertaining to migrants. Migration was emphasized as a vehicle for climate adaptation and development; while addressing the root causes of movement was the focus of many interventions. The ambassador of Finland reminded member states that neither the migration nor the refugee compact has a mandate to address the plight of internally displaced people, presenting a legal protection gap.

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California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

SYNOD ASSEMBLIES: LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson attended the Sierra Pacific, Pacifica and Southwest California Synod assemblies with a display and many opportunities for renewing and making new relationships. In Fresno, over 40 people attended a breakfast hosted by LOPP-CA that featured an attorney with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, a group working in the San Joaquin and Coachella valleys to promote environmental justice and civic engagement in historically disadvantaged communities.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: The deadline for passage of bills out of their house of origin was June 2, and legislation supported by LOPP-CA had mixed results.  Reform of the money bail system, which can drive people into poverty and disproportionately affects people of color, passed the Senate and is pending in the Assembly, where a similar bill failed to meet its deadline. SB 54, the California Values Act (“sanctuary state”) passed the Senate and is pending in the Assembly. A meeting on immigration between faith advocates and leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown’s staff is scheduled for later in the month. The Legislature has augmented what the governor included in his May budget proposal for legal and naturalization assistance for immigrants. The full budget is due on his desk by June 15, subject to line-item vetoes. Legislation to renew and update California’s climate change law has stalled, and the oil industry has launched a media campaign targeting swing legislators.

ADVOCACY DAYS: LOPP-CA participated in Early Learning Advocacy Day, LGBTQ Advocacy Day (immigration track), Immigrant Day, ENACT Day (food, health), and Free Our Dreams (Alliance of Men & Boys of Color and others), where Mark was a team “captain” for a group of high school students and their adult companion from San Diego. Mark introduced them to legislative staffer Eric Guerra, who is on the Sacramento City Council and was undocumented as a child (photo right).

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Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado

Lam-co.org

END OF SESSION: The Colorado General Assembly adjourned on May 10. Several LAM-CO supported bills were passed and signed by the governor. These included: HB 1002, Child Care Expense Income Tax Credit Extension; HB 1116, Continue Low-Income Household Energy Assistance; SB 207, Strengthen Colorado Behavioral Health Crisis System; SB 245, requiring landlords to give 21 days’ notice (up from seven days) to residents on leases of less than one year regarding end of lease or rent increases.

All four bills received bipartisan support in both chambers of the Legislature. We also were pleased that a bill we opposed was defeated. SB 003 would have repealed Colorado’s health benefit exchange without replacement. The bill was removed from consideration on the Senate floor, which likely means that it lacked votes to pass. A HUGE thank you to all the advocates who took action to oppose this bill!

IMPACT OF AHCA AND BUDGET PROPOSALS ON COLORADO: LAM-CO is deeply concerned about the American Health Care Act (AHCA) as well as the executive branch’s proposed federal budget. In Colorado, the AHCA would have disastrous effects on Medicaid recipients: nearly 600,000 Coloradans would lose coverage and Colorado would lose $14 billion in revenue by 2030. Budget proposals to shift the cost of food assistance to the states would cost Colorado $1.3 billion over 10 years, money the state does not have. We oppose the suggestion that vulnerable populations can be used as a “bargaining chip” in making severe cuts to our nation’s already feeble social safety net, on which so many hard-working Coloradans rely.

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota

lutheranadvocacymn.org

END OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Another year ending in chaos! Although both chambers finished their budget bills by Easter, leaders failed to include all parties in final negotiations. So the final weekend ended in a scramble to negotiate bills that could pass and survive veto threats. With a deadline looming, a “special session” was announced, “to start 12:01am Tuesday and end Wednesday at 7am.” It ended at 3:30 a.m. Friday!

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota supporters made many contacts with legislators (calls, emails, visits, Lutheran Leader Advocacy Day) and a letter from all six bishops (then leveraged by a House champion), that helped defeat attempted housing cuts. Our Homes for All coalition achieved $77 million for affordable housing in bonding, tens of millions higher than in initial bills. The Health and Human Services bill included serious cuts but added a one-time $2.5 million increase for programs we supported. Our action also protected the Minnesota Housing Challenge Fund and secured $2 million for CLASS Act to help homeless children excel in school (called “Homework Starts with Home” in the bill).

CREATION CARE: Clean energy and the environment did not fare as well, and the energy and environment bills took us backwards. Nevertheless, our advocacy combined with our partners, helped prevent some extremely harmful provisions, as the Environmental Quality Board was not eliminated and permit compliance is still under state regulation, rather than allowing polluters to police themselves.

Watch for more information coming soon in a newsletter and on our website!

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New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–New Mexico

lutheranadvocacynm.org/

SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION:  The Legislature met in a special session the final week of May. It passed and the governor signed bills to balance the state budget and restore funding to the legislative branch and all the state’s higher education institutions. The session was brief, about two days, and did not include comprehensive tax reform. LAM-NM joined other advocates in opposing any attempt to impose a tax on food. (Photo right: Ruth Hoffman, LAM-NM director, speaks at a news conference in opposition to a food tax, sometimes called a “tortilla tax.” The tortillas were donated to food pantries.)

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North Carolina

GeoRene Jones, North Carolina Justice & Advocacy Ministries

advocacy@NCLutheran.org

NORTH CAROLINA SYNOD ASSEMBLY: Justice and advocacy ministries were present and active during our 2017 Synod Assembly June 2-3. Voting members and visitors received information packets explaining ELCA Advocacy Ministries and could try out our new “NC Synod’s Got JAM” introductory slogan. Team members made themselves available at their exhibit table (photo right) to hear stories about social justice ministries active in congregations and offer ways to expand those ministries to include faith-based public policy advocacy.

IMMIGRATION: Lutherans are supporting ecumenical efforts for Juana Luz Tobar-Ortega, a wife, mother, grandmother, and North Carolina resident for more than 20 years. In 1993, she came to the U.S. seeking asylum from atrocities to indigenous peoples in Guatemala. Joining in prayers and a brief news conference, Juana entered sanctuary within St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Greensboro, this year on May 31. Her family and about 150 supporters traveled to the District Office of U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis to implore him to sponsor a private bill on her behalf. Beginning June 1, supporters will contact Tillis on Jueves for Juana (Thursdays for Juana) until the she is granted a stay of deportation. (Photo left: Juana Luz Tobar-Ortega, center, behind the podium, is surrounded by her family and supporters as she enters Sanctuary at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greensboro on May 31.)

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Ohio

Nick Bates, The Hunger Network

hungernetohio.com

Faith leaders from across Ohio came to the Ohio Statehouse for a second “budget is a moral document” advocacy day. Our teams met with the offices of 13 Ohio senators. We encouraged them to eliminate a proposed funding cut for Ohio’s food banks and increase funding for the food banks. (Photo right: All Saints Lutheran Church members meet with state Sen. Stephanie Kunze, second from left, to discuss hunger issues.)

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks can purchase fruit, vegetables and meat from Ohio farmers at a reduced price and provide these goods to Ohioans in need through an extended network of food pantries. However, the Ohio House proposed a $1 million cut to these programs (over two years). Faith leaders and many others encouraged the Ohio Senate to restore this funding and increase funding by $5 million a year. The Senate and House must agree on a final version of their budget and send it to the governor by June 30.

Also, after more than a decade of tax cuts in Ohio, the state is bringing in much less money than expected. The governor has warned legislators that they must cut at least $800 million from his original proposal. It is immoral to balance the budget on the backs of low- and moderate-income Ohioans. We encourage our legislators to find new revenue to fill the budget holes. (Photo left: From left, the Rev. John Wallace, United Methodist Church, and the Rev. Larry Novak, ELCA, meet with state Sen. Troy Balderson to discuss hunger)

Want to get involved? Write a letter to your local newspaper today! You can see more on our website at .hungernetohio.com/letters-to-the-editor/.

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy–Pennsylvania

Lutheranadvocacypa.org

Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda spoke of “Hope and Wisdom for Love that Seeks Justice” to a record gathering at Lutheran Advocacy Day in May. More than 170 attendees explored hope and moral-spiritual wisdom for meeting three confounding challenges for the church as it embodies God’s call to love neighbor with a love that seeks justice. Together, with the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary theologian and author, we probed the questions of:

• How do we express, in Lutheran terms, that advocacy for justice is at the heart of being the church?
• How do we advocate for public policy that supports justice and earth-care while ALSO being a reconciling presence, bringing people together rather than driving them apart?
• Where is hope in the midst of so many powerful forms of injustice crashing in among us?

Through the keynote, worship, workshops and a celebration of advocates from each synod, we hope that the fruit of our time together will be increased hope and power for “being church together for the sake of the world.” (Photo right: Bishop Samuel Zeiser, left, presents the “Serve. Pray. Speak” award to the Rev. Paul Metzloff for his advocacy on behalf of the people and environment of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod.)

The LAMPa policy council met at the start of Lutheran Day and welcomed a new member, the Rev. Sarah Rossing, from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, as well as two new interns: Travis Woodfield, ELCA seminarian at Wake Forest, and Vicar Ron Costen, who is an ELCA seminarian at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. The interns enabled LAMPa to have a presence at three assemblies the last weekend in May – as they and Director Tracey DePasquale participated in Lower Susquehanna, Northeastern Pennsylvania and Allegheny synod assemblies. (Photo left: Rev. Blair Morgan nails his advocacy commitment for the coming year to the “Wittenberg Door” at Lutheran Day of Advocacy in Pennsylvania.)

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Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin

“WE ARE CHURCH FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD”: This was the theme of this year’s Southeastern Synod Assembly. The focus was on the many ways that congregations can get involved in advocacy to address the many root causes of hunger and poverty. From Bishop Julian Gordy’s opening in Plenary 1 to worship and workshops, the event was laser-focused on the mission of the church in bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, recovering sight to the blind, and to letting the oppressed go free. (Photo right: A graphic from a synod assembly presentation.)

ugee Service, John Moeller and Melanie Johnson with Lutheran Services of Georgia presented workshops on Circle of Welcome. Mary Campbell with ELCA AMMPARO moved between those workshops to our advocacy workshops to talk about Welcoming Congregations and the Guardian Angels ministries. Our policy council and ready bench leaders helped with our workshops, primarily focused on congregational advocacy, and helped staff our ELCA Advocacy exhibit; three of our synod hunger leaders staffed the ELCA World Hunger exhibit. The synod Green Team had a pre-assembly workshop, an exhibit, and maintained a resource room throughout assembly. We also officially rolled out our Congregational Advocacy Guide and our new database.

Another highlight of the assembly was the presentation of our new Robert S. and Jean E. Graetz Advocacy Award to Robert and Jean Graetz. Robert is a retired Lutheran pastor in Montgomery, Ala. He and Jean were involved in the Montgomery bus boycott with Martin Luther King Jr. and others. They have continued their work in advocacy over the last 62 years.
(Photo left: Robert Graetz, center, with Martin Luther King Jr., right)

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Virginia

Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

virginiainterfaithcenter.org

In April, the General Assembly voted against Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s proposal to expand Medicaid to the 400,000 Virginians still left without access to health coverage. The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy was encouraged, however, when Republican leaders expressed willingness to look at ways to “close the coverage gap.” VICPP will encourage the newly formed joint legislative committee to consider how Virginia might tap federal dollars to expand health care access and will continue advocating with Virginia representatives at home and in Congress on health care access.

The center teamed up with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington to encourage everyone to hold an Interfaith Welcoming Seder during the Passover season. The center created a model Seder service to use. VICPP is also sponsored a May Day rally for immigration rights and organized a protest of the White House travel ban on outside the courthouse where the Court of Appeals was debating it.

On June 11, Gov. McAuliffe signed into law a bill on driver’s licenses, legislation that the Virginia Interfaith Center worked for in the most recent session of the General Assembly. The Richmond VICPP chapter is partnering with the city’s Office of Community Wealth Building to develop a Living Wage Certification program. This is a voluntary program designed to recognize and promote employers that pay living wages. The Northern Piedmont Chapter hosted a “Removing Barriers to Affordable Healthcare” community forum.

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Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

STATE LEGISLATURE: The 2017 regular session ended April 23 with no biennial budget agreement, and we are now in our second 30-day special session. A group of 8 to 12 legislative leaders from both parties are working on a revenue solution to fund the state Supreme Court ruling regarding our K-12 public education system, as well as the regular budget.

CONGRESS: FAN has been holding letter-writing workshops at faith communities, including one in a Jewish congregation on raising the limit on the number of immigrants and refugees welcomed into the country, one at an urban ELCA congregation, and one at the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Our primary issue is opposing President Trump’s proposed budget, as well as asking for co-sponsors for HR1276 to increase SNAP benefits. (Photo below: Members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue wrote letters to their members of Congress.)

LOCAL (SEATTLE and KING COUNTIES): FAN supported a significant police accountability ordinance, which passed the Seattle City Council last month. The other key local issue is making our juvenile justice system more focused on treatment than on incarceration.

STATEWIDE INITIATIVES: These include: a bathroom-use initiative that discriminates against transgender people, which we oppose; an initiative to reform our state’s statute on the use of deadly force by law enforcement; and an initiative to institute a carbon tax.

REGIONAL SPRING SUMMITS: We were excited to gather with 30 advocates in Yakima and 20 in Spokane for conversations about the legislative session and strategizing for the year ahead. We will soon hold similar events in Vancouver and Seattle.

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Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin                                    

Loppw.org

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: A resolution that would call for a U.S. constitutional convention passed through committee and will go to the floor. Only a few more states are needed to pass such a resolution to hold the second constitutional convention in U.S. history. Wisconsin is trying to limit the discussion at the proposed convention to balancing the federal budget.  LOPPW is concerned with two questions: 1) On whose backs would the budget be balanced? 2) How can any state manage how a constitutional convention would operate when there is no blueprint for it?  This is one of several good resources: States Likely Could Not Control Constitutional Convention on Balanced Budget Amendment or Other Issues

Representative Jimmy Anderson, Fitchburg, questioned how people in poverty would fare because of a constitutional convention. He specifically said he was worried that Social Security could be dismantled. He said such a convention would put our country at great risk. 

WATER:  LOPPW continues to work with the League of Conservation Voters and other groups advocating for a bill that would make it easier for public utilities to assist homeowners to remove lead from their pipes.

SYNOD ASSEMBLIES: In May, LOPPW had a presence at the Northern Great Lakes Synod Assembly in Marquette (photo, below, left), Mich., and the East Central Synod of Wisconsin Assembly in Green Bay (photo, below, right).

LOPPW met with the La Crosse Hunger team to explore advocacy around the upcoming Farm Bill.