ELCA Blogs

We know that hunger is about more than food. Understanding hunger – and working to end it – means seeing the many ways hunger and poverty intersect with so many other issues, including climate change, food production, access to housing, racial justice, gender justice and more. In “Hunger at the Crossroads,” a webinar series hosted by ELCA World Hunger, we will explore these intersections and the ways we can be part of God’s promise of a just world where all are fed.

New webinar sessions will be posted below. Participants do need to register beforehand, so check back and register to attend!

Who

The webinars are open to anyone passionate about ending hunger and eager to learn more. In each session, we will dive deeply into the topic, with presentations from ELCA World Hunger staff and partners and time for questions and conversation.

Upcoming Webinars

“Conflict and Hunger” – November 3, 2022, at 1:00pm Central time

Violent conflict is one of the most significant drivers of hunger around the world. From wars between nations to ethnic and tribal violence, conflicts affect farms, markets, jobs, housing, trade and more. In this webinar, we will hear from ELCA staff from around the world, who will help us dive more deeply into the tragic and significant ways violent conflict impacts hunger.

“Health and Hunger” – December 1, 2022, at 6:00pm Central time

Hunger and health are related in complex ways. Hunger and under-nourishment can both contribute to long-term health problems, while health challenges can increase the risk of hunger through lost wages and expensive medical bills. In this webinar, we will be joined by experts from both the United States and overseas to learn more. We will also hear from leaders working to improve health in their communities and learn some effective steps that can be taken toward a just world where all are fed – and where all are healthy.

Register

Registration for both “Conflict and Hunger” and “Health and Hunger” is now open through one form! Visit https://forms.office.com/r/N1XnPD3r9D to register. You can register for one or both of the upcoming webinars through this form. Follow ELCA World Hunger on Facebook and Twitter to get up-to-date information, including dates and links for registration for future webinars. Questions about “Hunger at the Crossroads” can be sent to hunger@elca.org.

Previous Webinars

“Sexuality, Gender Identity and Hunger” with Rev. Heidi Neumark (Trinity Lutheran Church, New York, New York) and Rev. Joe Larson (Fargo, North Dakota) – August 12, 2021

“Climate Change and Hunger” with Ryan Cumming and Brooke De Jong (ELCA World Hunger) – October 27th, 2021

“Hunger and Poverty by the Numbers: Where Are We at Now?” with Ryan Cumming (ELCA World Hunger) – December 9, 2021

“Housing and Hunger” with Brooke De Jong (ELCA World Hunger) and featuring a NEW! resource on housing – June 29, 2022

Watch the recordings of previous “Hunger at the Crossroads” webinars here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8758461.

We hope to see you “at the Crossroads”!

Issue 77 of Administration Matters

Why a church plan makes good sense

At this time of year, many organizations are reviewing their budgets — and the price of their benefits. Watch this short video conversation between an ELCA pastor and the president of Portico Benefits to understand how Portico’s approach to pricing supports the ELCA’s national community of congregations ‒ financially and biblically.

Records retention information

It is important to know which records and information a congregation should keep and which can be tossed. Some records need to be maintained permanently, whereas others can be discarded periodically. More

Safety outside your worship center

Your worship center is an invaluable property, monetarily and spiritually, and its protection and upkeep are an important obligation. >More

Amending or ending gift restrictions

From time to time, restricted gift purposes cannot be fulfilled as expected. When this occurs, charitable organizations should take all proper steps to repurpose or amend restricted gifts. >More

Prevent and eradicate vandalism

Every year, churches incur significant losses due to vandalism. Vandals often act impulsively. In other cases, vandals are seeking an easy target for their mischief, such as a building often empty at night. >More

By Rev. Prof. Dr. Dirk G. Lange

On June 24-25, 2021, a delegation of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) visited the Vatican as part of the journey from conflict to communion, that began over 50 years ago. Of course, the journey has moved forward considerably since the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and the publication of the important study on the Reformation, Martin Luther, and Lutheran-Catholic relations, From Conflict to Communion. These documents made possible the Joint Commemoration of the 500 years of the Reformation held in the Lund Cathedral and the Malmö Stadium in 2016 with His Holiness Pope Francis joining Lutheran leaders in the Common Prayer. In that liturgy, together we gave thanks, we confessed, we prayed and committed ourselves to unity, acknowledging each other as branches of the true vine.

The Joint Commemoration also set a tone for successive commemorations, both big and small. Over the next decade, there will be many significant milestones to be remembered including more difficult memories such as this year, 2021, the 500^th anniversary of the excommunication of Martin Luther. All of these anniversaries will culminate in the 500^th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 2030.

The visit of the LWF delegation in Rome launched the next stage of the journey, looking ahead to the 500^th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession. During the trip, the delegation had conversations with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), consolidated and strengthened an agreement between Caritas Internationalis, the global confederation of Catholic aid and development agencies, and the LWF World Service, as well as meeting with Pope Francis in a private audience on the anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, 25 June.

In that private audience, the Lutheran World Federation President Archbishop Dr. Panti Filibus Musa spoke about the journey from conflict to communion as “irreversible.” We look ahead to the commemoration of the Augsburg Confession in the “hope that we will reconnect with its original ecumenical intention.” The LWF President also presented Pope Francis with the gift of a chalice and paten, crafted for the occasion by the brothers of the ecumenical Community of Taizé. The glaze for the Eucharistic vessels was made with sand taken from the refugee camp in Za’atari, Jordan, where LWF has been working since 2012 to support Syrian refugees, internally displaced people and host communities. This gift, President Musa told the pope, “represents our calling to be one.”

Pope Francis expressed his hope in the ecumenical journey and lifted up the Augsburg Confession as initially a document of “intra-Catholic reconciliation” before it took “on the character of a Lutheran confessional text.” He reminded all those committed to the ecumenical movement that “ecumenism is not an exercise of ecclesial diplomacy but a journey of grace. It depends not on human negotiations and agreements, but on the grace of God, which purifies memories and hearts, overcomes attitudes of inflexibility and directs towards renewed communion: not towards reductive agreements or forms of irenic syncretism, but towards a reconciled unity amid differences.” And, citing the Rule of Taizé, Pope Francis called for a passionate engagement in this journey from conflict to communion. “Make the unity of the body of Christ your passionate concern.”

Another significant event of this trip happened between Caritas Internationalis and the LWF World Service. The “Common Vision,” jointly presented by World Service director, Maria Immonen, and Caritas Secretary General, Aloysius John, affirms that the two organizations “stand together for the sake of the neighbor – a call which is rooted in faith.” This “Common Vision” expands the agreement reached in the Declaration of Intent, signed between the two organizations in Malmö, Sweden (2016) as part of the Joint Commemoration of the Reformation. By strengthening their humanitarian work for justice, peace and dignity for all people, the commitment of World Service and Caritas also serves as a “catalyst that can shape our doctrinal dialogues.” In listening and acting together in many local contexts, with the involvement and support of local churches, pastoral ecumenism can help shape ecumenical dialogue, listening attentively to the intuition of God’s people to be one.

In the conversation with the PCPCU, both sides re-affirmed their commitment to the journey, even if sometimes it may take unexpected turns. For example, this year marks the 500^th anniversary of the excommunication of Martin Luther. A study group was formed to explore the complexity of this historical moment. Their work continues but was hampered by COVID-19. The results of their research will contribute to a statement on the matter to be presented, not in this year, but in 2023 at the Thirteenth General Assembly of the LWF in Krakow, Poland. Other study groups will be established to research and explore significant upcoming anniversaries (Nicea 2025, the Large and Small Catechisms 2028-2029) leading up to the commemoration of the Augsburg Confession, highlighting its ecumenical potential.

In the meeting with the PCPCU and in a subsequent lecture on synodality at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), General Secretary Martin Junge, spoke about challenges we meet on the journey and reminded us of the central role of justification. “In our ecumenical journey, our communions have also affirmed this criterion. In the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, we have agreed in paragraph 18 that ‘the doctrine of justification, (…) is more than just one part of Christian doctrine. It stands in an essential relation to all truths of faith, which are to be seen as internally related to each other. It is an indispensable criterion which constantly serves to orient all the teaching and practice of our churches to Christ.’ We need not look further than to this simple yet all-encompassing Gospel reality. Justification serves as this touchstone for discernment.”

On this journey from conflict to communion, Lutherans and Catholics continually seek to discern how to live into God’s action that makes us one. With prayer, service, and dialogue, may the Holy Spirit continue guiding us, so that we will gather one day at the table where God, through the gift of Christ, has made us already one.

Photo: LWF/S. Gallay

Rev. Prof. Dr. Dirk G. Lange, Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, The Lutheran World Federation

Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.

Find a map and full list of ELCA affiliated SPPOs using our state office map.

U.N.

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

International Dialogue on Migration: Christine Mangale, LOWC Program Director, attended virtually the first International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) session of 2021 from 25 – 27 May 2021. Speakers included H.E. Volkan Bozkir, the President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly; H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E António Vitorino, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General, H.E. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji; H.E. Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco; Ms. Runa Kahn, the Founder and Executive Director of the Friendship NGO, and several other government, experts, and practitioners.

The focus theme was “Accelerating integrated action on sustainable development: migration, the environment and climate change.” The theme was building on the 2008 and 2011 IDM meetings. This year, the discussions explored the links between the focus theme and issues such as COVID-19 and the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus. Actions were emphasized to mitigate the impacts of climate and environmental change and to implement several global frameworks, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The IDM session also aimed to contribute and galvanize momentum towards the 26th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP26) that will take place in Glasgow in November 2021, as well as preparations for the 2022 International Migration Review Forum (IMRF).

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: During May, LOWC Director Dennis Frado focused largely on the building tensions between Israel and Palestinians. On the 5^th, Frado joined other representatives of member organizations of Churches for Middle East Peace in a meeting with State Department officials to discuss the developing situation. Working alongside Peace Not Walls staff colleagues, a special action alert was issued on May 11^th which urged ELCA members to ask President Biden to tell Israel it must halt the illegal removal of East Jerusalem families from their homes which was originally scheduled for early May, and to affirm that Israel must respect the Status Quo agreement and holy sites in Jerusalem.

Colorado

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

Legislature Concludes: The Colorado General Assembly has come to the end of its 2021 legislative session. We advocated for major changes to Colorado’s tax code, renter’s rights, agricultural worker rights, environmental issues and more. Some of the major victories this session:

The Tax Fairness for Coloradans package (House Bills 1311 and 1312) passed both chambers. This is the first major tax reform adopted by the legislature in a long time, closing tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy while permanently investing the savings into funding the state Child Tax Credit and expanding the state Earned Income Tax Credit.
The Agricultural Workers’ Rights Bill (Senate Bill 087) will finally entitle agricultural workers to the protections of the Colorado Labor Peace Act, including overtime pay, rest breaks, and more.
The Colorado Office of Financial Empowerment will be created by Senate Bill 148, a measure to extend practical tools and resources to communities that have historically lacked access to mainstream (and non-predatory) credit and banking services.
Rights in residential lease agreements will be expanded by Senate Bill 173. The mismatched timelines between rental assistance and eviction have led to further housing inequities, and the bill will attempt to rebalance the scales to help renters remain housed and landlords remain solvent.

Check out lam-co.org for our 2021 session recap later this month!

Director’s Sabbatical: LAM-CO Director Peter Severson will be on sabbatical until late September. During the summer, members of the LAM-CO Policy Committee will keep our network informed of opportunities for action, organizing, and education via social media and our synodical communication network.

Kansas

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

The Kansas legislative session ended with the so-called veto session in early May. This was a very challenging year, with a newly strengthened conservative majority determined to enact some of its long-held priorities, as well as challenging the Democratic governor at every turn – especially in regard to pandemic-related emergency powers.

We had hoped that we might see movement on criminal justice reform this year, with two commissions (a bipartisan criminal justice commission and a governor’s task force on police reform) putting forward over a dozen bills. In the end, only one of these bills even had a hearing.

KIFA opposed a bill that would criminalize protest at fossil fuel facilities, including pipelines. This was part of a national effort by the fossil fuel industry to preempt protests such as the one currently taking place against Line 3 in Minnesota. We were able to garner some national media attention, as well as the involvement of the Native tribes in Kansas. The bill was significantly watered down in committee — for one thing, organizations, including churches, that help arrange or facilitate protests will not be liable to conspiracy prosecutions — but it passed.

We worked to sustain four vetoes issued by Governor Kelly: on another tax cut primarily benefiting corporations and upper-income people; on a bill that limits advanced voting; on a bill lowering the age for the conceal carry of handguns to 18; and on a bill that would ban trans girls from participating in girls’ sports on the high school and college levels. In the end the only veto that was sustained was the trans athlete bill; the rest were overridden.

Minnesota

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

Legislative Session: The official legislative session ended with very little agreement and little accomplished, but not for lack of advocacy and prayer by Lutherans and our partners.

Budget Levels: On the last official day of session, Senate Majority Leader Gazelka, House Speaker Hortman and Governor Walz finally announced an agreement on overarching budget and committee area budget targets. Without time for nitty-gritty negotiations on program specifics, both chambers adjourned in anticipation of a special session.

Special Session: The Special Session starts Monday, June 14. As of now, budget specifics and policy language are still not settled for 12 of 13 budget bills.

Clean Energy: Some small energy programs will likely move forward, but several good parts of both House and Senate Energy bills will not be included due to resistance by some senators – especially for clean transportation. Thankfully, proposals to take us backwards on electric emissions will also not likely be included.

Housing: Good news! Between drafts of this update, some funding for emergency shelters and services went from ridiculously low one-time funding to base funding. We hope this continues to be the case. However, an off-ramp for the rental eviction moratorium remains unresolved as one of the most contentious housing debates.

LA-MN Introductory Video: Have you checked out our 3-minute video yet? Please consider ways to use it in your congregation and share it widely to help us recruit others for advocacy action!

Pennsylvania

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

In May, LAMPa staff happily expanded in-person activities, including teaching at St. Matthias in Carlisle and visiting and planting at Lutheran Camping Corporation’s Wittel Farm as part of LAMPa’s ongoing rogation project. Director Tracey DePasquale made her first in-person legislative visits in the Capitol in over a year, meeting with House and Senate committee leaders to press for a plan to remedy the state’s inequitable school funding system.

Staff prepared materials for synod assemblies, including guidance to help congregations prevent but prepare for a possible surge in homelessness as the eviction moratorium ends. Hunger Advocacy Fellow Larry Herrold put his production skills to use as LAMPa partnered with Lutheran Disaster Response for a video describing how our ministries accompany disciples in “loving the land,” one of the three themes of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod’s gathering, and a second one for SWPA Synod’s assembly.

Further embracing the opportunities presented by virtual gathering, LAMPa hosted models of accompaniment ministry presentations by Bridge of Hope and Open Table, which is at the heart of advocacy. We rejoice in the follow-up engagement of congregations who want to see their service ministries move from transactional to transformational. LAMPa also hosted a webinar on the state of hunger programs and funding in the state as a basis for informed advocacy as we enter the final weeks of budget season. Staff also participated in meetings of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches Commission for Public Witness, the Interfaith Justice Coalition, and the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.

Texas

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

The 87^th Texas Legislature adjourned Sine Die Monday, May 31 with drama that garnered national attention and expectations that the Governor will call a Special Session later this year.

Texas Impact resourced Texans of faith through three ongoing programs:

Weekly Witness: a podcast recorded during the legislative session in front of a webinar audience featuring a “topic of the week,” legislative update and action alert.
Rapid Response Team with 500+ members committed to making time-sensitive calls to representatives; and
Legislative Engagement Groups of members coordinating with other advocates in their legislative district to build intentional relationships with representatives and their offices. Texas Impact staff held weekly briefings for LEG members during the legislative session.

The Texas Impact network prioritized legislation in the following five categories:

Health Coverage
Voting Rights
Climate Justice
LGBT Equality
Criminal Justice Reform/George Floyd Act

The Legislative Wrap-Up will be available soon; following the veto period, it will be featured in June/July Weekly Witness episodes.

In addition to preparing for a possible special session on voting rights, energy, and other issues, Texas Impact staff will spend the summer speaking with congregations and groups about the 87^th Texas Legislature and organizing regional events to recruit and strengthen Legislative Engagement Groups. We are also excited to partner to recruit a new ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow! Apply here.

Washington

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

Celebrating FAN’s 10^th Birthday! Since June 11, 2011, Faith Action Network has grown from an infant born after long labor to a still-growing, multifaith body of communities and individuals – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Quaker, and Unitarian – from Pullman to Port Angeles. Together we have successfully advocated for public policy that upholds justice and compassion and lived into our calling to be “a partnership for the common good.” We are thankful to our 160 faith communities, many coalition partners, and thousands of advocates who have grown and sustained our work!

Spring Summits: FAN hosted two Spring Summits – one in May and one in June, to connect with our advocates across the state, celebrate legislative wins from the past session, and hear what issues FAN should focus on throughout the year. We were joined virtually by 150 advocates who met in breakout groups by region and issue topic. We look forward to connecting advocates with their legislators during the interim this summer to move our discussion into action!

Post-Legislative Session: Now that so many bills have passed in the virtual Washington State legislative session, the important work of implementing those bills begins. FAN is particularly involved in the implementation of the Voting Rights Restoration bill for people coming out of prison, and the many police reform bills we worked to pass with the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability. Our Economic Justice Work Group is also engaging our network with the bipartisan legislative Tax Structure Work Group to chart a path forward to improve the state’s regressive tax code.

Wisconsin

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

The Wisconsin State Budget: The State Legislature is in the process of finalizing the budget. It is unclear whether the governor will entirely or partially veto it. We expect some of our priorities that will likely to be left out of the budget to return in separate bills. Also, the director has been in dialogue with Senator Baldwin’s office about possible federal actions to help individuals in states that have refused federal dollars for Medicaid (BadgerCare).

Care for God’s Creation: The director consulted with a new faith group that has started a care for God’s creation group in Milwaukee and invited them to join the Wisconsin Climate Table. She has also committed to returning to the leadership team of the Table for one year.

Advocacy Training: LOPPW led a virtual presentation to the lay school of ministry in the East Central Synod.

Youth: We organized our second meeting to begin planning for high school youth advocacy events. Members from all six synods have shown interest.

Raise the Age (Juvenile Justice): Kyle Minden has continued taking the main lead in our coalition to return 17-year-old youth to the juvenile system. Together with the Wisconsin Catholic Conference and three other organizations we met with the Senator who is the lead in writing a bill that will approach what we are advocating for.

Immigration: Minden helped organize a second presentation on immigration with the South-Central Synod Immigration Task Force. AMMPARO’s Mary Campbell was the presenter.

We know that hunger is not just a matter of food but a matter of policy. Public policies impact where our food comes from, the kinds of food we eat, how we acquire food – and what our options are when we don’t have enough. In this conversation for the ELCA World Hunger blog, John Johnson, director of domestic policy for the ELCA, joins Ryan Cumming, program director for hunger education with ELCA World Hunger, to talk about the expanded Child Tax Credit, a huge step forward in addressing child poverty in the US this year.

https://youtu.be/DqDjclrR6no

Links that were shared during the recording:

CTC website: childtaxcredit .gov
IRS CTC landing page: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021
CTC Non-Filer Sign-up Tool: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool
IRS FAQs: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions

Correction: In the recording, a July webinar on the Child Tax Credit is mentioned. This updated date for this is July 7. Join partners of the ELCA and White House officials, including Mr. Gene Sperling, for this national webinar to learn about the tax credit’s historic expansion and to hear from experts on the need to make the expansion permanent. Registration information will be available soon. Follow the social media links below to get updates.

Follow the ELCA’s Witness in Society team on social media for updates about the Child Tax Credit and other important public policy issues:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELCAAdvocacy/

Twitter: @ELCAAdvocacy

Instagram: @ELCAAdvocacy

And follow ELCA World Hunger for up-to-date information on hunger and poverty in the US and around the world, including the creative ways our church is responding by walking with neighbors, partners and companions toward a just world where all are fed:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELCAworldhunger/

Twitter: @ELCAWorldHunger

Instagram: @ELCAWorldHunger

Interested in more conversations like this about hunger and policy? Are there specific public policy issues you’d like to hear about? Let us know! Email Ryan.Cumming@elca.org to share your feedback and ideas.

Subscribe to the ELCA World Hunger blog, and sign up to join the ELCA’s network of advocates.

(If you are one of our regular subscribers to the ELCA World Hunger blog and reading this via email, the audio and video files may not show up. Just click on the title of the post to head over to the main blog webpage to listen in.)

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: June 2021

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY: Nearly 10% of Americans stand at risk of eviction or foreclosure. The Biden Administration in late May shared a final version of their proposed budget for the next fiscal year, with major proposed increases to housing programs at this critical time.

The proposed increases could take incremental steps in increasing housing affordability, as well as offer $800 million in new spending to help make homes more climate resilient and energy efficient. The ELCA Action Center currently has an active action alert in support of housing increases, and advocates are encouraged to send a customized message to their lawmakers as appropriators in the House of Representatives begins deliberations the week of June 24.

CLIMATE FINANCE SPENDING: President Biden’s FY2022 proposed budget includes increases in international climate finance spending including funding for adaptation. ELCA staff met with members of Climate Special Envoy John Kerry’s team to get a better understanding.

Kerry’s team noted that the budget on international climate finance is considered a floor and not a ceiling. Domestically the budget includes funding for clean drinking water, high-speed broadband, and electric grid revamp.

TIGRAY REGION OF ETHIOPIA: The U.S. announced it has imposed visa restrictions on current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, members of the security forces, or other individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution of the crisis in Tigray which turned violent in November 2020, causing massive displacement and mobilizing the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in the region.

On top of other crises that Ethiopians have been dealing with lately, relates LWF, the violence in Tigray escalated when the Federal government and the Tigray regional forces clashed affecting millions. The ELCA has been advocating for increased humanitarian assistance to support those impacted by the conflict, and for the U.S. government to work with the international community to bring an end to this conflict. The visa restrictions include those who have conducted wrongful violence or other abuses against people in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, as well as those who have hindered access of humanitarian assistance to those in the region. The U.S. is also imposing wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia. It will continue humanitarian assistance and certain other critical aid to Ethiopia in areas such as health, food security, basic education, support for women and girls, human rights and democracy, good governance and conflict mitigation, consistent with available authorities.

PATH TO CITIZENSHIP: As Congress continues to weigh various options to legislate a pathway to earn citizenship, one of the options on the table is for a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers in the next recovery package, perhaps via a budget tool called “reconciliation.” A House budget resolution laying the blueprint for reconciliation is expected to be released around the week of June 21st, making input critical.

Leading up to this stage, advocates are participating in the #WeAreEssential Fast for Freedom, a multi-week fast to highlight the moral significance of action. Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill is a host site for the fast, which launched on June 9 and will continue for at least three weeks.

POLICING REFORM: A bi-partisan group of Senators are working to find a compromise on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. ELCA advocacy activity continues to support the strongest version of this important legislation. The ELCA joined hundreds of organizations in a June 2020 statement around shared priorities for federal policing reform.

The Justice in Policing Act attempts to address a number of these reforms. The bill, approved by the House in March, has not yet come to a vote in the Senate.

UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Great summer virtual learning events to expand advocacy expertise, both on issues and in skillset, are coming up!

Organizing and Advocacy: Eco-justice and Sustainability in Infrastructure – Tuesday June 22, 1-2:00 p.m. EDT

With pressing awareness of change needed for livable and sustainable communities, and with policy discussion on infrastructure shaping that change, join us to inform what you can do. Expertise from both ELCA advocacy staff and the Organizing for Mission Network will come together in this presentation and expand our capacity to respond to the challenges of our times. Register from http://bit.ly/organizingandadvocacy.

ELCA Advocacy Network Conference Call: August Recess Possibilities – Thursday July 22, 1-1:30 p.m. EDT

Most years, the U.S. Congress recesses for the month of August. Senators and representatives return to their state and/or congressional district and reconnect with constituents. Reflect with ELCA advocacy staff on opportunities to interact with policymakers in-district and current priority issue updates. Registration forthcoming.

Advocacy Summer School – Summer Wednesdays, 2-2:30 p.m. EDT (+ optional 15 minute Q&A)

Five skill-building and issue-informing, virtual sessions will be presented by ELCA advocacy staff in collaboration with ELCA Peace Not Walls. Pick 1 or take all 5! Registration forthcoming.

August 11 – What is faith-based advocacy?
August 18 – How do I approach policy makers?
August 25 – How do I use media for impact?
September 1 – Let’s talk: About the Holy Land
September 8 Let’s talk: About immigration

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

by guest blogger Deacon Ross Murray, rostered minister in the ELCA Metro New York Synod*

Most Americans incorrectly assume that federal laws will protect someone being evicted from their home or turned away from a place of business for the sole reason of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. There are no such laws.

But there could be. The Equality Act, a landmark piece of legislation which has already been passed in the U.S. House, would add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Civil Rights Act, affording protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, federal funding, credit, the jury system and more.

The Equality Act ensures that patients are able to receive treatment from doctors and life-saving prescriptions from pharmacists. It gives people the freedom to shop wherever they choose for the food and the necessities needed to live. It will let them enroll in any school, use any bank, and be a part of their community. In short, it will allow them to “live and move and have their being” (Acts 17:28).

Protection for real, everyday people

The need for protections provided by the Equality Act is urgent. Evictions based on discrimination can continue unabated. Funeral homes turn families away in their moment of grief. Perhaps the most egregious example is a law passed by Arkansas that allows doctors to refuse to treat LGBTQ people. This is not an exemption from certain procedures, but any form of treatment for LGBTQ people.

The Apostle’s Creed states: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” As Lutherans we believe that God abundantly provides everything we need to nourish this body and life, including clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and land, spouse and children, fields, animals, and all we own (The First Article in Luther’s Small Catechism). If we believe God grants us our daily necessities, why would we support laws that block people from accessing those necessities?

I’m a deacon in the ELCA with a calling to be both an advocate for LGBTQ people and a youth minister for LGBTQ youth, witnessing a massive attack on the most vulnerable among us – transgender youth. States have passed laws designed to socially isolate transgender youth from their peers by banning them from participating in high school athletics. Two states have cut off transgender youth from affirming medical care and turned supportive doctors who provide treatment into criminals. Their bodies and their experiences are put under scrutiny, even by some who are claiming religion as a way to erase their existence.

Jesus had harsh words for those who placed burdens in front of young people, using our faith and piety to drive them away from our faith and the God who loves and created them. It was important enough that both Matthew (18:6) and Luke (17:2) quote Jesus saying it would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause “one of these little ones” to stumble.

The use of religion as a reason to deny someone else the fullness of life is not an exercise of faith, but the weaponization of faith, using it to inflict harm and suffering upon others.

We need the Equality Act to protect real, everyday people in every state from outbursts of violence, discrimination and harm, as the first use of the law is intended to do (The Purposes of the Law in Luther’s Small Catechism, With Explanation). There is no Lutheran understanding of using the law or our religion as a reason to inflict suffering or discriminate.

State of the debate

The Equality Act passed the House for the second time in February 2021, but it’s future is uncertain in the Senate. Currently, senators are hearing from those who oppose the protections in the Equality Act at a rate far outpacing those who support. Sadly, those opposing the Equality Act are claiming both Christianity and the and the false assumption their faith might be hampered by a law that prevents people from being fired, evicted, or denied goods and services.

While senators debate and negotiate, they need to hear from Lutherans who believe that God has richly and daily provided us with all we need to support body and life. People need to know that Christians stand on the side of loving our neighbor, and that, in this instance, love looks like allowing LGBTQ people to live, work, shop and exist anywhere free from fear of discrimination and violence.

Take action

Please contact your Senator to tell them to support the Equality Act (Action Alert available). If they don’t support it, let them know that, as a Christian, you believe in protecting the neighbor from harm. If they do support it, say thank you. If they are on the fence, let your call be what pushes them to defend the vulnerable and marginalized. And then tell your friends, family and community. The Equality Act can only pass by letting people know that Christians support love, and love is letting your neighbor live fully and abundantly.

* Deacon Ross Murray is founding director of The Naming Project, and Senior Director of the GLAAD Media Institute. He is the author of Made, Known, Loved: Developing LGBTQ-Inclusive Youth Ministry

Tara loves dancing and, from childhood, always wanted to dance in front of an audience. Now 30 years old, she often performs at festivals and cultural functions, her performances described as “heart-touching.” Tara even performed at the Bali Jatra festival, a popular trade fair and market in Cuttack, India, where she lives.

Tara has been living away from her family for years because she is a transgender woman and faces discrimination from her family and the members of their community. When she came out as transgender at age 8, her father refused to support her and her brother would abuse her in public. Tara felt unsafe in her home, despite the love and acceptance she received from her mother. Eventually, Tara left her family and found a sense of belonging in a transgender community in Cuttack, where she felt safe to be her authentic self and pursue her dancing.

Women in Tara’s community receiving food and hygiene packages from LWSIT.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tara sometimes struggled to obtain enough food. When India went under lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, getting food and other necessities became even more challenging because some shops closed. There were no more festivals or performances where Tara could dance and earn an income. During this time, nonprofit organizations reached out to vulnerable communities and supplied them with food and cash support, but the health care needs of Tara and her neighbors were overlooked.

When Lutheran World Service India Trust (LWSIT) received a COVID-19 response grant from Lutheran Disaster Response, it prioritized supporting marginalized populations such as the transgender community in Cuttack. The organization
distributed hygiene kits to Tara and her neighbors, which included bath soap, antiseptic liquid soap and face masks.
She and her neighbors are grateful to all the organizations that met their basic needs, but commended LWSIT for being the only organization to offer health and hygiene support.

“We are thankful to LWSIT during this situation,” said Tara. “LWSIT staff are helping through hygiene kit relief distribution to keep our health and hygiene safe from the effects of coronavirus.” She now feels safer and more prepared to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in her community.

Since the pandemic began, LWSIT has supported the communities most vulnerable to COVID-19. In addition to Tara and the transgender community, LWSIT accompanies migrant workers and women-headed households and operates an urban homeless shelter. It distributes hygiene kits and food packages and provides livelihood training and food-for-work opportunities to those who have lost their unemployment due to the pandemic.

LWSIT is just one of many organizations and companion churches around the world that provide holistic support to vulnerable communities during this crisis. By responding to a wide range of disasters, including COVID-19, Lutheran Disaster Response follows Christ’s call to share hope and healing.

Don’t worry, Faith Lens will be back in the fall.

Faith Lens will be on a summer hiatus after the Day of Pentecost.

The next posting will be on September 7th for September 12th (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost).

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.

Find a map and full list of ELCA affiliated SPPOs using our state office map.

U.N.

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

LOWC Program Director Christine Mangale comments on the recently concluded session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women: LOWC Program Director Christine Mangale was interviewed recently by Lutheran World Information about the 65^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Commenting on the need to continue to hold governments accountable for their Agreed Conclusions, Mangale said, “The focus now is national level monitoring and engaging with governments by continuing to knock on their doors. As long as we keep asking questions, they know we are following up, but otherwise the work just gets swept under the rug.” The largely virtual (due to COVID-19) meeting excluded on-site participation by non-governmental society groups, including the churches. In normal years, Lutheran World Federation delegates are physically present. “Usually we meet with them, we sit down and ask them to push for particular issues,” Mangale reflects. LWF seeks to “shape global policies that impact us at national and local level,” but “How do we make sure our voice is heard in this huge virtual gathering of more than 10.000 people?” On the plus side, this year there were 70 participants attending online events while the usual size of the delegation is about 30. The CSW experience is part of a larger empowerment effort by the LWF. Mangale says “Women are the pillars of our congregations, so this is where the work comes to life through storytelling and sharing of experiences. Women can address leadership obstacles in their communities, they can engage local councilors, run for posts as village elders or members of parliament and feel part of the process for change.”

Briefing from leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic: In late April LOWC Director, Dennis Frado, was privileged to be briefed by the President and Vice-President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic (CAR) on recent developments in their country. In a meeting facilitated by ELCA Regional Representatives Anne and Willie Langdji, the Rev. Joseph Ngoe, President and the Rev. Rachel Doumbaye, Vice-President, spoke of the high level of insecurity in parts of the CAR, especially around Bouar, the capital of Nana-Mambéré Prefecture, where the church headquarters is located. The population of CAR continues to be plagued by attacks from various armed groups which have created a very dangerous and unstable security situation, despite efforts by the weak national army and United Nations peacekeepers to maintain order. The briefing will help LOWC better advocate for the people of CAR with various UN entities, including the Security Council.

Photo credit: Anne Langdji, ELCA Regional Representative, Cameroon.

Bolivian Church President speaks on Christian identity and indigeneity: On April 22, Bolivian Lutheran Church President, the Rev. German Loayza, participated in a virtual parallel event in conjunction with the 20th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The event, “Identity at the intersection of Indigeneity and Christianity: An indigenous dilemma,” was organized by the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations and co-sponsored by The Lutheran World Federation, The Episcopal Church, The United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society and the World Council of Churches. The event was moderated by Archbishop Mark Macdonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, Anglican Church of Canada and featured other participants: the Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff from the Oglala Sioux nation (South Dakota, USA), the Rev. Dr. Hirini Kaa, Photo credit: Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church Kaiārahithe, a member of the Maori of Aotearoa (New Zealand), Ms. Victoria Tauli Corpuz, a member of the Kankana-ey Igorot people (The Philippines) and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Rev. Dr. Seforosa Carroll, a member of the indigenous Rotuman people (Fiji).

Photo credit: Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church

California

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

Lobby Day: On May 19th, Lutherans and other Californians met on Zoom to pray, learn, and hear from the Rev. Cornell William Brooks, as well as meet with our state legislators to advocate for bills that will meet needs at the intersection of food & farming and racial justice, including AB221 (Emergency Food for All) and SB464 (Food for All).

Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD): This year’s virtual EAD centered Climate Justice. After three days of worship and workshops, 19 Californians representing several organizations and faith communities met with Senator Feinstein (D-CA)’s office to advocate for climate justice-oriented infrastructure and energy legislation and funding for countries and communities most impacted by climate change.

Advocacy in Quarantine: In response to COVID-19, LOPP-CA hosts briefings on state and federal legislative priorities, including a quick advocacy activity, every Wednesday at noon. One of our recent priorities is working for undocumented and mixed status California families to receive support and aid from which they are currently excluded, despite being important members of our communities.

Budget Advocacy Guide: Linked here is a budget advocacy guide from LOPP-CA. Soon we will be giving attention to the state budget and meeting with the governor’s staff and legislative staff to express our priorities and values for the state’s budget decisions.

Green California: Green California “is a network of more than one hundred organizations with a common environmental, health, and justice agenda,” including LOPP-CA. Two bills we are currently following that would expand Californians’ access to water are SB222 (Low Income Water Rate Assistance) and SB223 (Water Shut-off Protections), with both currently in Senate Appropriations.