ELCA Blogs

Ulysses III

Ulysses III from ELCA Young Adult Cohort AIDS 2014 reflects on their recent group trip to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia! You can check out the full blog article on their website.

“As with most things in life, the 20th International AIDS Conference (IAC) and its associated events, were full of “highs,” but neither void of the “lows,” nor the “really lows” for that matter. Here I’ll recap the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 2014 Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) Interfaith Preconference and International AIDS Conference based solely on my opinion as a three time participant of both events.

The Good

The Interfaith Preconference brought together the world’s foremost faith leaders in HIV and AIDS to address what most faith groups are reluctant to discuss: faith, stigma, sex, and HIV…To conclude the Interfaith Preconference, the EAA highlighted the voices of young adults for the first time in my history of attending, which is a move in the right direction for faith communities and the HIV and AIDS discussion in general.

Clinton!

Bill Clinton speaking at the 20th International AIDS Conference

With headliners in the field of HIV medical research abound, the latest advances in the fight to end AIDS were brought to the stage; information presented publicly for the first time in some cases. Government dignitaries were present, most notably Bill Clinton who has been a regular at IAC and a faithful partner in the AIDS epidemic vis-à-vis The Clinton Foundation… By my assessment, there was far less science and far more social justice focus during AIDS 2014, which I see as a benefit to the majority of stakeholders in the AIDS epidemic: people living with HIV, and advocates – mostly people who are not medical science professionals… As a faith representative I was equally pleased to see 8 faith related workshops during the main conference, the most since my participation in 2010 and 2012, and if I had to guess, probably the most ever.

The Bad

Although the world’s foremost faith leaders in HIV response were present at the Interfaith Preconference, they were the same leaders who’ve been out front since my introduction to the faith and HIV arena. If this was your first experience at such a forum you left encouraged and excited about what you were hearing from the faith community, but if you’ve been doing the work for a while, you realize there have been few new voices added to the conversation over the years….This is no fault of the EAA or those who continue to be present, but a testament to how far we’ve come by faith, and how much farther we still have journey to fully integrate our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques in the conversation on HIV, faith, sex, and stigma…The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has consistently been well represented during the preconference by its young adult delegation, often supplying the full complement of registrants under the age of 30… this is not an issue for the EAA to solve, rather a deeper issue of the faith community’s need to engage youth and young adults more intentionally.

The Ugly

…By far, the lowest moment of the IAC happened before the conference even began in the skies over the Ukraine/Russia conflict zone when flight MH17 was downed by a missile fired as a result of what’s believed to be mistaken identity. We quickly learned that many of the passengers on the plane were delegates headed to Melbourne for the IAC, including world renowned HIV expert and former IAS president, Joep Lange. Needless to say this sad and unfortunate event completely changed the tone of a conference that otherwise gathers every two years to celebrate life. The impact was felt right away during the opening ceremony that usually has the feel of an international party, but felt more like a memorial service as moments of silence, tributes, and solemn song were abundant. Many of the persons lost were not only colleagues of those present, but close friends of a lot of the keynote speakers… IAS did its best to honor the lives of those lost in a way they would be proud of; by carrying on with AIDS 2014 in spite of the tragedy, because the best way to honor them, is to continue the work they began.
Conference

Participants join in an interfaith worship service

El Fin

The 20th International AIDS Conference and its associated events were not short of ups and downs, but life was present all around us, even in the wake of death; people LIVING with HIV, not dying. HIV and AIDS is no longer a death sentence, and even as many died trying to advance the work being done in the field, millions more will live as result of their sacrifice. AIDS 2014 was much more than a medical science conference; it was a gathering to celebrate humanity; a time to not just focus on HIV treatment, but people treatment; an opportunity to not just share the statistics, but to share the stories. AIDS 2014 was about “Stepping up in Faith” and “Stepping up the Pace,” leaving no one behind in the fight against AIDS. I look forward to continuing the good fight at AIDS 2016 in Durban, South Africa.”

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

Yesterday, Lutherans continued their testimonies at the Environmental Protection Agency. Our speakers were notably engaging, energized and forthright in their discussion on how climate change is an important matter in their community. Their testimonies gave an excellent impression, demonstrating how Lutherans are active and concerned about protecting God’s creation. Here are some excerpts of their testimonies:

7/30 Washington D.C. Hearing

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Policy

…We know that climate change has many other public health impacts, and that those impacts fall hardest on those who are most vulnerable, including children and the elderly, and particularly hard on vulnerable people who live in poverty. And we are already seeing the impact that a changing climate can have on food production and food security, with the drought in California as only the most recent example.

…The arguments of economic impact and job loss also ignore the costs of doing nothing, of allowing global temperatures to continue their upward trend and earth’s climate to become less and less predictable. Losses in productivity, increases in food prices, dwindling supplies of water, will all have steep costs and huge economic impacts, together with the continued cost of responding to ever more frequent weather disasters.

We are faced with an important choice—we can act now, and help to protect future generations and God’s creation from the worst impacts of climate change, or we can fail to act and let our children and the earth suffer the consequences. This rule is a critical step in the right direction.”

epa3

Mary Minette testifies before the EPA pannel

7/31 Pittsburg, PA Hearing

The Rev. Paul Lubold

I share their concern about the impacts of global climate change, especially as it takes its largest toll on “the health of young children and their families, disproportionately affecting the poorest among us,”

The Bishops [Elizabeth Eaton] wrote: “Multi-year droughts, sea level rise, extreme weather events and increased flooding dramatically affect communities internationally, from the… north slope of Alaska to Midwestern farming families to our brothers and sisters in the Philippines… We recognize with concern that climate change particularly harms low-income communities.”

I also want to speak personally in support of the Clean Air plan… As a Christian, I believe that God created the earth, sky and seas. And that as creation was happening God declared that it was “good.”

God then entrusted humans with “caretaking” responsibilities… But unfortunately, we’ve not been all that ‘responsible.’ Rather than use natural resources, like fossil fuels, in a sustainable way, we have often squandered them for selfish, profit-driven reasons… If we who were entrusted to be “care-takers” of creation have an opportunity to make changes that would insure an environment that is ‘more healthy’ for our children and grandchildren, then we have a moral imperative to do just that.

Lutheran Advocactes show support in Pittsburg

8/1 Pittsburg, PA Hearing

The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, PhD

“…Yes, the new EPA rules will force Pennsylvania to reduce its air pollution and burn less coal. But how we adjust to less coal will make all the difference. If we build more renewable energy infrastructure and increase energy efficiency, our airwill be cleaner and greenhouse gases will be reduced. But if we replace coal with fracked gas, we will only be making our air and atmosphere worse. These rules, as written, only codify the transition from coal to gas that is already underway. As well, the rule gives implicit consent to burn more trash, tires, coal sludge, and other forms of toxic waste for electricity. So while I believe the proposal is a good first step, it is not only inadequate, it will have the unintended consequence of replacing one source of dirty fuel with many others.

I am committed to helping people of faith learn how to do their part to care for God’s Creation and support eco-justice issues. I call for the EPA to not only stand its ground with this rule, but to actually strengthen and expand it in order to put in place the strongest protections possible to defend public health, the fragile atmosphere of our planet, and the communities that will bear the costs and suffering from our addiction to fossil fuels and greenhouse gases.”

Rev. Schade speaks on the Clean Power Plan

Pittsburg, PA Hearing

Cricket Eccleston Hunter, Executive Director, PA IPL

“Climate change magnifies ills that faith communities have long responded to: food insecurity, water insecurity, disease, conflict, and many natural disasters, and we are stepping up again. We know that the EPA’s charge is to protect the health and welfare of Americans. We also know that the health and welfare of other beings and other peoples is at risk. We act for them as well.

…Coal representatives will tell you that acting responsibly on carbon pollution will steal jobs from communities on the economic edge. They won’t say that those jobs have never driven executive decision-making. They won’t mention that those jobs are already in a decades-long decline, or that the decline is about bottom lines, not about federal policy nor even booming gas. Combined coal output from West Virginia and Kentucky has held nearly steady since 1983, but mining jobs have dropped by half. We do need to help generate new paths for employees and communities that currently depend on fossil fuels. Holding tight to the diminishing fuels of the 18^th and 19^th centuries instead of reaching forward to the power of the 21^st is not the way to do it.

Like our faith communities, the United States is explicitly founded on values. As such, we have a unique opportunity to lead according to those values. When we don’t, as we have not on climate change, our silence is deafening. When these proposed standards were announced in June, the world took note. China immediately began hinting at an absolute cap on its own carbon emissions, and has since created 8 pilot carbon trading markets. Christians talk about acting as a “city on a hill” — when we act as we should, using the gifts we’ve been given, the example shines, and draws others in.”

You can add your voice to the conversation too! Send your comments to the EPA through our Action Center, and tell them that you support the new Carbon Rule on Existing Power Plants to protect our children’s future!

Megan Brandsrud

In February 2014, a person with the Ebola virus disease (EVD) was registered in Guinea. By the end of April, the outbreak had spread to more than 250 people in Guinea and had crossed into Liberia and Sierra Leone. As of July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there have been 1,201 cases of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa, including 672 deaths, making this the most severe Ebola outbreak in recorded history.

Phebe Hospital, a Lutheran hospital in Liberia, has been dealing with the Ebola outbreak first-hand. Seven of the health care workers at Phebe Hospital have tested positive for the Ebola virus, including three nurses who died from the virus on July 23.

Working with Global Health Ministries (GHM) and the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL), Lutheran Disaster Response is sending five pallets of Personal Protection Equipment via airfreight shipment to Phebe Hospital and Curran Hospital (also Lutheran affiliation) in Liberia to assist in the response to the Ebola virus disease outbreak in that country. The Personal Protection Equipment being sent consists of hazmat suits with hoods and boots and several cases of disinfectant with spray bottles. These materials will allow healthcare workers to safely provide care for patients who are infected with the virus.

Please join us in praying for our brothers and sisters in Liberia and the rest of the West Africa region who are dealing with the risks of the Ebola virus. May Christ’s healing hands grant them relief and protection. If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in providing assistance against the Ebola virus disease in West Africa, please visit theLutheran Disaster Response giving page.

What is Ebola virus disease?

Ebola virus disease (EVD) was formerly called Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is a severe illness in humans that is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and indirect contact with contaminated materials, such as bed linens that have been contaminated by an infected person’s bodily fluids. There is no evidence that EVD can be spread through airborne transmission.

Initial symptoms of EVD include fever, weakness and muscle aches. Progressed symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding. The incubation period for the virus is up to 21 days, and an infected person is not contagious until she or he starts experiencing symptoms.

There is no vaccine for EVD, nor is there a cure. Treatment consists of supportive therapies to treat the symptoms.

Transmission can be prevented by avoiding close contact with Ebola patients and by wearing proper protective gear while caring for patients. Outbreaks typically occur in Central Africa. It is being reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) that this current outbreak is the first major outbreak in West Africa.

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

This week, several ELCA Lutherans have testified before the Environmental Protection Agency about the proposed rule to cut carbon emissions from power plants. Together, they affirmed why they believe protecting the earth and fighting climate change is a spiritual and moral issue. From concerned pastors to professors and engaged congregants across the U.S., their testimonies demonstrate why we all should be concerned about climate change.

Rev. Robert Moss, ELCA Lutheran

7/29 Denver, CO Hearing

“For us as Lutheran Christians, addressing environmental concerns is part of what it means to live as responsible caretakers of the earth. We are pleased to join the conversation from an economic, scientific, political, and spiritual perspective, as these are all aspects of joining God in God’s mission of caring for and renewing the earth. I believe that support for the Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule to regulate and reduce carbon emissions is part of our responsibility.

In addition to so many other reasons why this matters, I want to remind you that climate change is already affecting global agriculture, and therefore food supplies and prices. Through no fault of their own, impoverished people, who are the most vulnerable because they rely solely on growing and selling a small crop for daily life, are losing their ability to do so. Alleviating hunger and global poverty are major concerns for me as a person of faith. Carbon emissions directly and adversely affect the hungry and poor we are so deeply concerned about. Continued climate change makes hunger and poverty issues an even larger challenge to deal with.”

Rev. Moss testifies before the EPA pannel

Dr. James W. C. White, University of Colorado-Boulder

7/29 Denver, CO Hearing

“…at its core, climate change is a moral issue, and it is to this that I wish to speak. The first moral issue is how we treat our children. We live on a water planet, and again simple physics tells us that it will take decades for the ocean to warm and fully express the climate that goes with our current, high levels of greenhouse gases. This creates an intergenerational inequity. What we do, our children will have to deal with, and what they do, their children will have to deal with, and so forth. We all say that we love our kids. But how do we truly show it? Until one generation can set aside the lure of short-term gains for the long-term profit of our children, the cycle will never be broken. We need to express our love for our children in the very tangible way that this regulation provides. A second moral issue to consider is the disproportional impact that climate change has on the poor, both internationally and here in the US. Poorer nations and poorer people have less capability to adapt to issues such as sea level rise, access to clean water, and access to secure food supplies, as well as dealing with obvious problems such as heat waves and droughts. How do we, the rich, square this with our ethical obligation to those in need? Christ was clear: “…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

The proposed regulations will not fully address the problems that create the moral struggles we now face. But they are a start, a start that is achievable and promises to break the current stranglehold that keeps us from facing our obligations, both to our fellow humans, and to our God. And let us briefly ponder the moral costs. By taking action we show our love for children and grandchildren, we care for those in need, and we care for God’s creation that He has lovingly provided for us. Not bad outcomes for doing the right thing. So let’s do it.”

Rev. Edward Wolff, ELCA Lutheran (TN)

7/29 Atlanta, GA Hearing

“What is happening to the earth, and therefore to us, cannot be explained in a brief period of time. Suffice it to say, briefly:

Last April, the average CO2 concentrations in the earth’s atmosphere exceeded 400 parts per million on a sustained basis for the first time in 800,000 years.
Thirteen of the fourteen hottest years ever measured with instruments have occurred in this century.
A trigger of the civil war in Syria has been identified as the drought from 2006 to 2010, where sixty percent of the farms and eighty percent of the livestock were destroyed.
A Pentagon advisory committee has described the climate crisis as a “catalyst for conflict” that may cause governmental and societal collapse.

Honestly and personally, I’m scared, but the fear is not about me. I will not be here to see the results of a scarred earth if we continue down the same path. I am concerned for my grandchildren, all seven, and the great grandchildren that will come after. I am also concerned for this great nation. Catastrophic events, caused by climate change, can weaken and/or destroy any democracy, for all democracies are fragile, at best.”

EPA2

Rev. Stacy Martin, Director of Advocacy

Isaiah 41:18
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.

I believe it’s safe to say that hope does not abound in Washington, DC. Partisan gridlock has produced a desert of sorts, for Members of Congress and advocates alike, in which no change can be accomplished and no hope resides. But, as the book of Isaiah reminds us, God’s promises extend far beyond our inability to imagine springs of water bursting forth in the desert.

At a time when many of us considered Congressional compromise a veritable relic, this week a spring of water burst forth from the desert of vitriol and gridlock that has, regrettably, come to define Congress.

On Monday afternoon, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL), the chairpersons of their chambers’ respective veterans’ committees, announced a $17 billion compromise bill to address many of the problems that appear to affect the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

This bill, a compromise between opposing philosophies about the role of government as well as government spending, would allow veterans, who either live far away from VA facilities or who are unable to secure an appointment with the VA within a certain number of days, to access medical services beyond the VA system. The bill attempts to further address the VA’s issues by:

Including funding for additional doctors and facilities
Extending a treatment program for veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
Extending the GI Bill, which would help veterans more easily access and afford college tuition.

The bill appears to be a good first step in ensuring that veterans receive the kind of care that individuals who sacrifice so much should receive. And for that, Sen. Sanders and Rep. Miller should be commended.

However, that the bill was introduced – even after much wrangling – as a bi-partisan compromise is worth more than mere commendation; it is worth celebrating. Rep. Miller commented Tuesday that he expects the House to support it with “a wide bipartisan vote,” and the Senate is expected to quickly sign off on the House’s vote if scheduled quickly enough.

In the desert of impasse and contempt that for too long has defined this town, there is hope that this beacon of cooperation and compromise can extend beyond the VA. Senator Sanders and Representative Miller have given us a long-awaited sip of the waters of cooperation and compromise we have so long thirsted for. They have given us reason to hope. We may still be in the desert, but springs of water are beginning to burst forth.

Teri Mueller

On Wednesday, July 16th, the summer interns at the ELCA churchwide office had the opportunity to visit Bethel New Life on the West Side of Chicago. Bethel New Life is an example of an organization that has done some amazing work with its social ministry and community development programs. I was very excited about the opportunity to see the work of a community partner of the ELCA and to get a glimpse of how grassroots work relates to work we do at the national churchwide office. The experience was educational, inspirational and thought-provoking.

Joe Young, ELCA Program Director of Community Development, briefed us on some of the background of the community before we actually went into Bethel. He described the difficulties the community has faced, saying, “The Neighborhood was very, very different prior to the Nelsons’ coming…25 plus years ago, the neighborhood was a mess.” (Mary Nelson was the former CEO of Bethel New Life.) He further went on to explain that the neighborhood has had unemployment ranging from 10-45% over the years. People have had to make tough choices about things like feeding their family or fixing their roof. Large parts of the north Austin neighborhoods are also food deserts, meaning that there are no actual full- service grocery stores so people have to travel a significant distance to get food or purchase it from often overpriced corner stores. Some stores even have customers ask for food behind plexi-glass that separates customer from vendor. They do not even get the dignity of picking out their own food, and sometimes the items they purchase are expired.

Prior to visiting Bethel, I knew very little about the organization. Bethel New Life was born in a time of severe hurt after the riots of the late 1960s and early 1970s that followed the Civil Rights Movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The organization was founded over 30 years ago in 1979 by Bethel Lutheran Church. The church had a dream of making an impact on the poverty and des Bethel Artwork pair that the local community was facing. Though money was scarce, members decided to mortgage the church and put the limited funds they had into purchasing a building. They relied on their faith and passion as they diligently worked to make a difference.

Photo: Outdoor artwork at Bethel New Life

Ms. Mildred Wiley, Senior Director Community Affairs, provided us with a lot of the history of Bethel along with giving us a tour and telling us about new initiatives. Ms. Wiley made it very clear that Bethel has a legacy of looking at community assets and working to help enable people. Her colleague, Ms. Tina Levy, Director of Communications and Fundraising, talked about how the community has been entrenched in poverty for decades and explained Bethel’s philosophy to “value people investing in themselves so they can help themselves.” Ms. Levy also shared with us about the West Side Forward campaign that is currently underway. The campaign seeks to significantly reduce concentrated poverty on Chicago’s West Side. I was amazed looking at the figures within the West Side Forward report. It claims that the total cost of transforming the neighborhood over the next ten years would be about $3.4 billion dollars, while the cost of keeping it the same would be around $29.1 billion. The solution seems like it should be clear, but I know change takes a lot of time, convincing and initiative. Bethel tour in hallway

Photo: Ms. Wiley gives the interns a tour of Bethel

West Side Forward is directly part of Bethel New Life as it serves as the strategy of the organization. Staff are heavily invested in the initiative. Bethel’s core areas of focus over the next ten years align with West Side Forward and include Community Economic Development and Education. Senior housing is also a key part of Bethel New Life. We had a chance to see senior housing, economic development, and education in action during our visit. Ms. Wiley took us on a very informative tour of Bethel’s facilities. Bethel has both senior housing and assisted living housing. We got to hear about many of the services offered at the assisted living facility including a barber and beauty shop, nurse’s station, activity room, fitness facility, full meals and more.

Ms. Elayne Nickaloau, Director of Education at Bethel New Life, talked to us about the educational components of Bethel. She explained that Bethel places a strong emphasis on identifying partners and forming connections. She specifically mentioned the collaboration between Bethel and the By the Hand program in the community. The hardest challenge Bethel faces on the education front is getting people to dream and find hope in what they can do. Great programs are in place, but attracting participants is a challenge as is the case with many new opportunities.

We also got to see and hear about the Small Business Development Center at Bethel. In my eyes, the center is a combination of the educational and economic foci of Bethel. There is a 14 week entrepreneurship program that goes through forming a business plan, marketing strategies, etc. and helps people start their own businesses which can help contribute to the local economy. We briefly met Mr. Marshawn Feltus, a graduate of the Entrepreneurship program and owner of ACT Yoga. He talked passionately about his business and the benefits of yoga.

Bethel is also doing some awesome work that helps with economic development. Bethel has a three- pronged approach towards community economic development that focuses on business development, workforce development, and asset-building. One example of a helpful economic service that is supported by Bethel is the Community Savings Center. When the neighborhood started to decline decades ago, all of the banks left the community and people could not easily obtain loans for socio-economic and racial reasons. Because of this, the Community Savings Center at Bethel New Life has significantly helped community members.

Street picture
Photo: Ms. Wiley talks about the economic climate of the neighborhood

Looking back, the trip to Bethel was challenging because it was hard to see a neighborhood lacking in things that I have always regarded as fairly basic services like banks and grocery stores. However, it was also extremely inspiring to see the positive work that Bethel New Life has done and witness some of it in a first-hand manner. I do not know what the future holds for me or the other interns, but I know that I want to do my part to combat social injustices in one way or another. Together, we have the power to make an impact. As Joe Young asked us at the end of our trip, “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?” Supporting ELCA World Hunger and organizations like Bethel New Life is one way to have an impact. There are communities like those on the West side of Chicago combatting the effects of poverty all over our city, country, and world, but a positive difference can be made.

Teri Mueller is an intern with ELCA World Hunger.

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

July 2014

”We are called to act with justice,

We are called to love tenderly,

We are called to serve one another,

To walk humbly with God.”

David Haas, “We Are Called”, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 720

As Christians, we think and talk about what we may be “called” to do out of faith for our families, ourselves, our neighbors and our communities. You may be called to work against poverty and hunger, and out of that call you might work in a food pantry or send a letter to your member of Congress about cuts to federal nutrition programs. You likely signed up for these emails in part because you feel a call to care for God’s creation.

If you are concerned about the future of God’s creation, and in particular about the threat of climate change to our planet and to future generations, and if you feel called to act out of that concern, this summer offers a number of opportunities to act and to advocate.

Here are just a few:

Send your comments on the EPA’s proposed carbon rule today! The EPA’s proposed rule will limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from power plants, improving public health in our communities and protecting future generations and God’s earth from the threat of climate change. If you’d like to comment, our action center has tools to help you. If you’d like more information about the rule, here’s a link to fact sheets that may help.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of the EPA’s proposed rule (or if you’re feeling really ambitious, write an op ed for the opinion page). For help in writing a letter to the editor, click here and for fact sheets on the proposed rule click here. If your letter gets published, let us know! Send a note to washingtonoffice@elca.org and include a link to your letter if you can.

Sign a global climate change petition. This September, world leaders will gather in New York City for a Climate Summit in preparation for a year of international negotiations on a new global climate change treaty. Sign an interfaith petition on climate change asking our leaders to take strong action to combat climate change before it’s too late. Add your voice to a growing chorus of people of faith who are holding our leaders accountable on this critical issue.

Join the People’s Climate March Sept. 21, 2014 in New York City. Join thousands of other concerned citizens marching to ask world leaders to act on climate change. If you can’t make it to New York, find (or plan) an event that weekend in your own community (here are some tools to help you plan a prayer vigil or other event in solidarity).

Want to learn more about ELCA’s commitment to advocating for public policy that supports the care for creation?

Visit our website

Like us on Facebook

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Megan Brandsrud

Below is a guest post from Rev. Stephen Bouman, Executive Director of ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission

Holy family

Every journey worth taking begins in the heart, then the feet begin to move down the road. I received an invitation from Mike Nevergall of Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSSS) to accompany them in their work of providing a welcome to some of the many “unaccompanied minors” (children of God) who are streaming across our borders in an ever-increasing flow.

For four years, the number of children migrating from Central America (mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador) through Mexico to the U.S. has doubled every year. This year it is more than 57,000 and counting.

I asked my colleague, Rafael Malpica-Padilla, director of Global Mission, to join me in leading a visitation to the border. (Rafael shared the above graphic depiction of the migration of the Holy Family). This is a globallocal issue demanding a broad conversation and understanding about the contexts in Central America, Mexico and the United States, and the conditions which “push” and “pull” this migration. Rafael agreed, and our delegation included staff from the global and domestic units of the ELCA, disaster response partners and staff from our Washington advocacy office. We were joined in Texas by leaders from LSSS, local pastors and leaders, and partners from Mexico.

Our visit began at Lutheran Social Services’ (LSS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Transitional Foster Care program office in Corpus Christi. We had the chance to hear about the unaccompanied children who end up in transitional foster care. We toured the facility, including a classroom where children were doing their lessons for the day. LSS runs two of these facilities, serving 32 children at the Corpus Christi facility and 50 at their El Paso facility. These children in Transitional Foster Care group homes are under the age of 13.

We met a couple (names withheld for security purposes) who were the first foster parents who signed up when this new office opened in April. Since then, more than 80 children of God have been guests in this foster family’s home.

“The children are afraid when they come to us. But this is their promised land, given everything they have been through,” they said. “These children come with remarkable faith. We pray with them. Some of these children become ‘little evangelists’ because they are welcomed here and their faith is nurtured.”

There is a sign in Spanish in front of the couple’s home. In English it reads: “The last stop of a long journey.”

Rocha's sign

Upon entering a classroom, the issue became incarnate for me. Here were the children who had been on our hearts.

A five-year-old boy smiled at me. He is from El Salvador and crossed the border with his grandmother, from whom he was separated during intake by U.S. Border Patrol. There were two sisters from Honduras, seven and eight years old. We thought of our children and grandchildren, the ages of these children, as we moved among them speaking, listening, pondering. We are in an environment which is built to provide safety for these children. We took no pictures of the children. Pictures we do have are “stock” photos. Volunteers are not allowed contact. So our partners in LSS are our hands and hearts. In the faces of the foster family, and the faces of the children, we saw the face of Jesus.

We next visited the Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter in Corpus Christi where we had a rare opportunity to visit one-on-one with the children who are currently staying there. Paul Hernandez, executive director of Bokenkamp, and his staff graciously showed us around the facility and answered questions about how children end up there and where they go when they leave. Children in this facility are age 13-17.

More than 100 children were sitting around tables in a large room. I went from table to table. Between my bad Spanish and the limited English of one of the staff who accompanied me, we were able to listen to the stories of many children. My questions were basic: Where are you from? How long did it take you to get here? What was your journey like? How is it in this place? Where do you have family? The answers formed a very clear picture. The biggest reason they came here? “Violencia.” Violence. The first person I talked to, a girl of thirteen, was very clear: “The gang will kill me if I stay.”

I heard stories of extortion, family members being killed, threats. I also heard that children come to reunite with family. When I asked about what it is like in this place, many smiled and gave the same answer. “Seguridad.” Safe, secure.

Stories of their journey varied. They came by bus, by train, by van driven by “coyotes.” Some walked many miles. For some, the transit was relatively uneventful. Others were robbed, assaulted, witnessed bad things happening to others. Staff told us that many of the girls were prepared with birth control.

Many kids come prepared with documentation and papers to help them gain residence here. When I asked where family was living, the most frequent answers were: New York, Maryland, Los Angeles, Boston.

There was one moment when The Bronx met Texas and Honduras. At Transfiguration Lutheran Church in the Bronx, the congregation had an occasional liturgy in the Garifuna language. The Garifuna are Afro-Caribe people who live along the coast of Honduras and Belize. As I was conversing with a beautiful, dark skinned girl with thick, corn-row braided hair, I asked, “Garifuna?” She lit up in a huge smile and shrieked out, “Si!” Yes! She was delighted to be noticed, recognized, to show up in all her particularity.

The next day we drove to the McAllen area at the border. This is the epicenter of the lower Rio Grande valley migration destination. We visited St. John Lutheran Church in San Juan, and we met Pastor Sylvia De La Garza. Pastor Sylvia introduced us to Danny Martinez, an agent for the U.S. Border Patrol, who gave us a presentation about their work.

Danny Martinez grew up in San Juan and had been a teacher. He told us that in Tucson, 80 percent of the migrants picked up by Border Patrol are Mexicans. In the Rio Grande Valley, the number is 80 percent “OTMs.” (Other than Mexicans).

Because of the 2008 anti-trafficking law, Border Patrol cannot send the children back without papers, opening a case, a judgment. He said that a majority of the “coyotes” who expedite the actual transport are also juveniles. He said the train through Mexico between Central America and Texas is really bad. Children ride on the roof, where some are robbed, assaulted, raped, even thrown off and killed. The train derailed eight times this past year. It is known as “la bestia” – the beast.

We also had the privilege of meeting with Jennifer Harbury, an attorney and human rights activist who is active in the Rio Grande Valley, specifically in cases involving Central Americans. She wrote the book Truth, Torture and the American Way to describe her efforts to find out what happened to her husband Everado during the Guatamalan civil war.

Jennifer told the story of a boy she took in, making the various issues around migrating children personal and vivid. In Honduras, gangs came to recruit the boy when he was about thirteen. They beat him, but he refused to join. The second time they ran him over with a car. His mom gave him $30 and told him to run. The Honduran army beat and robbed him at the border. He rode on the roof of the train. A gang got him in northern Mexico. He was nabbed with a bunch of children in order to extort from their families. The children broke away at the first opportunity and ran in every direction. He almost drowned swimming across the river and got picked up by Border Patrol. He was abused in an ORR facility and in foster care for a month when she met him. Since then, he has beaten alcohol, has a job, and is taking care of his nieces and nephews. Jennifer talked about what drives children to hit the road. As she said, “It’s raining battered children in my back yard!”

We then visited Calvary Baptist Church and met with Pastor Chad Mason and Kathy Herzberg on the missions staff. Chad told us about the ways that volunteers are being used, what donations are needed, and how things are being coordinated to help refugees after they are dropped off at the McAllen bus depot. Volunteers meet families at the bus station, help them buy their tickets (with vouchers paid for by their families), and take them to the relief center at Sacred Heart Catholic Parish, two blocks from the station. The center is an ecumenical ministry run by Catholic Charities where volunteers help with a variety of services. The center sees 140 people per day. The refugees receive two fresh sets of clothes, they have the opportunity to eat, shower, and relax, and their children receive play therapy through Save the Children. Sister Leticia Benavides gave us a tour of the facility. We were there as a group of mothers and children arrived. Everyone in the large, cavernous facility stopped doing what they were doing and began to applaud. “Bienvenidos!” Welcome! People arrive after having been detained 3 – 10 days. They are dehydrated, tired, and tears well up at the first genuine act of hospitality they receive after the long journey.

The next day we met at Our Savior Lutheran Church in McAllen. We heard from Omar Mixco about the renewed work of La Frontera Ministries International and his goal of expanding their educational and immersion opportunities. Omar is from Honduras and is currently based in Mexico City as the part time executive director of La Frontera, and he is looking to engage with a variety of partners on each side of the border. He told us that the city of San Pedro Sula in Honduras is the most violent city in the world. He is working closely with Our Savior Lutheran Church, and Mary Lovig from Our Savior shared with us about the ability of groups to stay at the church for immersion experiences and mission trips.

We heard from Pastor Paul Bailie from Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Eagle Pass, Texas, and we learned about how the situation in Eagle Pass is similar and different to what we had experienced in McAllen. About a five-hour drive separates the two areas. Paul is making weekly trips to Mexico when he preaches at their sister church, Cristo Rey in Piedras Negras. Paul described a situation of unrelenting poverty. In his church, those with and without legal documents worship together. Paul has a strong vision for the ministry, and an investment in its home grown leadership and sustainable future.

I would close by remembering the baby Moses, hidden in the bulrushes in the water in order to save his life. And by remembering the great conspiracy of the women, both Hebrew and Egyptian – slave and free – to save, nurture, and love the child. God grant such a conspiracy among us in our time.

If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work with Unaccompanied and Migrant Children, please visit the response giving page.

Teri Mueller

Imagine a world where you cannot afford to put food on the table. Imagine a world where hungry children look up at you with pleading eyes as you stare at an empty pantry that you cannot afford to stock. Imagine not being able to provide for the basic nutritional needs of yourself and those you love. Imagine having to make the choice between paying for heat in the dead of winter or purchasing nutritious food.

Many people in America do not need to imagine the above scenarios. For them, the frustration of poverty is a daily reality. Many wage workers all across the country struggle to get by. These workers’ wages are at or slightly above minimum hourly wage of $7.25. Chapter 2 of the 2014 Bread for the World Hunger Report focuses on the problems of poverty and hunger that many hourly workers face. Statistics reveal the harsh reality that 28% of American workers earned poverty-level wages in 2012. While many people believe that teenagers make up the majority of low wage workers, in actuality, 80% of minimum wage earners are at least 20 years old. Poverty does not just affect the jobless, as 10 million families with at least one person employed still fall below the poverty line. Furthermore, a report issued in 2013 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted that “Among SNAP households with at least one working-age, non-disabled adult, more than half work while receiving SNAP — and more than 80 percent work in the year prior to or the year after receiving SNAP. The rates are even higher for families with children — more than 60 percent work while receiving SNAP, and almost 90 percent work in the prior or subsequent year.”

Raising the minimum wage is a very controversial topic but one that has increasingly come up in recent months. A 2014 report from Oxfam International supports a minimum wage increase from the present $7.25/hour to $10.10/hour over the next few years. The report states that 25 million workers would be affected, one-third of whom have dependent children. Additionally, over 20% of women would benefit from a minimum wage increase as women tend to work in minimum-wage jobs more often than men. Oxfam emphasizes the growing income inequality in the United States as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Specifically, the report notes that “in 2013 the CEO-to-average-worker pay ratio was 331 to 1; 30 years ago, it was just 40 to 1. Today, the CEO-to-minimum-wage-worker pay ratio is 774 to 1.”

Despite the millions of people that would be positively affected by an increase of the minimum wage, controversy abounds because of possible adverse effects on the overall American economy. The cost-benefit ratio of an increase is rather unclear. Oxfam claims that economic growth and development would occur because better-paid workers would spend more money and contribute more in taxes. However, some business owners and federations are strongly against a minimum-wage increase because they say it will kill jobs and force employers to cut back employees and raise prices. ACNNMoney article from early May explains the strong opposition of some companies to the proposed $10.10/hour minimum wage.

The contentious nature of minimum wage issues can easily overshadow the people behind the debate. Regardless of political views, we must remember the thousands of people in the US who are struggling to get by and provide adequate nutrition for themselves and their families. There are plenty of resources in our world, and we are called to seek a sufficient, sustainable livelihood for all. We have the responsibility to consider our neighbors and family and to not solely maximize our own interests. Support for a livable wage is necessary as we strive to walk along side wage workers. Because of these convictions, the ELCA supports an increase in the federal minimum wage. Visit the advocacy statement on raising the minimum wage to learn more about the pressing nature of the issue and the views of the church.

Teri Mueller is an intern with ELCA World Hunger.

Megan Brandsrud

Rev. Goliké, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of CAR, discussing with a group of women affected by the crisis in Bohong.
In Bohong and five surrounding villages, attacks have led to the destruction of private properties from 16 to 21 August 2013. The LWF emergency team and UNICEF Rapid Response Mechanism team carried out an assessment in the affected areas and estimated the number of houses burnt down at 1800 and population affected at 16.747.
Bohong is 85 km distance from Bouar where the head office of the ELF member church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of CAR (ELCCAR), is located.

During an evening in which the now all-too-familiar sound of attacks was moving closer to his home, Rev. André Golike, the president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic, his wife and some of his colleagues hid in a closet and underneath a bed while members of a rebel group known as Séléka raided his home. Though the rebels searched the home for an hour, Rev. Golike and the others in hiding were never discovered. “God made them blind,” Rev. Golike says as he recounts the story of how he and his wife and colleagues embraced with tears of joy after the rebels left and they emerged from their hiding spots to find each other unharmed.

For more than a year, the Central African Republic (CAR) has been ravaged with violence. Half of the country’s 4.6 million people have been impacted by the violence, and more than 530,000 people are displaced within CAR. The violence began in March 2013 when an occupied rebel group known as Séléka overthrew the government. An alliance known as the anti-Balaka formed in response to the Séléka rebel group and has also played a large role in the violence.

Though the Séléka rebel group is a largely Muslim alliance and the anti-Balaka a largely Christian alliance, Rev. Golike makes it clear that the conflict is not one of religious constraint, even though it is often being described that way in media.

“The Séléka group is really more of an occupied rebel group, since most of the members are from Chad and Sudan. They don’t even speak our language,” Rev. Golike said. “The anti-Balaka is made up of Catholics, Muslims and Protestants from [CAR] who came together to try to join forces against Séléka. Muslims and Christians have lived side-by-side peacefully in our country for years; this conflict is not a religious war.”

Rev. André Golike is leading a group known as the Committee for Reconciliation and Peace—a committee of religious leaders in CAR that is promoting and working toward exactly what its title suggests. Rather than fleeing and living in the bush as many have done and continue to do, Rev. Golike and other members of the Committee meet with people who have experienced violent attacks to show compassion and pray for their pain to be lessened.

The Committee is composed of people from several different towns and villages so that the people with whom they visit feel comfortable talking openly with them because there is familiarity and trust present.

“It is not an easy task, but it is an important one—and it is one we will continue,” Rev. Golike said.

On a recent trip to the United States, Rev. Golike said he was moved to witness the empathy of churches in the U.S.

“The people I met [in the United States] really feel what we are feeling at home,” he said. “We are one family; we are one body. Prayer allows us to support each other as brothers and sisters from all around the world.”

Rev. Golike cautions people to not jump to conclusions about the conflict based on what they are learning from media, and he encourages people to advocate and bring more awareness of what is happening in CAR. “Most of the violence that is happening now is just reaction. An attack occurs by one group and the other reacts. It is a cycle that needs to end,” he says. “If we give voice to this, we are stronger than those who are hiding themselves behind this crisis. We need to denounce the violence that is happening.”

Lutheran Disaster Response has been working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic to provide assistance to those who are being impacted by the ongoing conflict by helping with food, seed and clothing distributions. If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work in the Central African Republic, please visit theLutheran Disaster Response giving page.

Join us in our continued prayer for peace in CAR.

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EPA Clean Power Plan Hearings: Day 1

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Living Earth Reflections: Called to Action

July 2014

Our Journey to Children at the Border – Guest Post from Rev. Stephen Bouman

Hunger, Poverty and the Minimum Wage

Central African Republic: An Interview with President Golike