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Lutheran Pastors Travel to D.C. to Advocate for the World’s Most Vulnerable

Tia Upchurch-Freelove, ELCA Advocacy Office

May 14, 2014

​Last week, faith leaders from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak out in support of f​​unding for life-saving humanitarian and poverty-focused development assistance (PFDA) programs.

Two ELCA pastors, the Rev. Amy Truhe and the Rev. John Backus, joined these leaders on Capitol Hill to share their commitment to promoting the dignity of all people, including the world’s most vulnerable. The Rev. Amy Truhe serves as pastor for Scherer Memorial Lutheran Church in Chapman, Kan. The Rev. John Backus visited from Trinity Lutheran Church in Omaha, Neb., where he co-pastors with his wife, the Rev. Liz Backus.

I met with Pastor Truhe and Pastor Backus before their day on Capitol Hill to ask why they felt compelled to advocate for policies that provide support to those living in poverty and suffering from hunger.

Pastor Amy Truhe_Pastor John Backus

Pastor John Backus: My son is from Thailand and is 29 years old. When I adopted him he was between 3 and 5 years old. When I got him he was dying of malnutrition. It was a year of having enough to eat every day and having all the things he could ask for as a child growing up in rural Minnesota before he stopped hiding food in his room … before I could get him to stop stealing from his playmates. … That changed him and he is still repairing the damage done. Every child on the face of the planet that goes to bed hungry is a threat to the safety and security of those who have enough to eat.

Pastor Amy Truhe: We are so immensely gifted that we don’t understand what we have. My sister [who was adopted from Korea] was left in a box because her mother didn’t have enough and couldn’t take care of her child. How horrible for a mother to have to make that decision! I am here because I feel passionate about this.

Pastor Truhe went on to describe that even after working with children who live in the U.S. and have experienced extreme poverty here, it is still difficult to imagine living in a place where those who are hungry cannot even attempt to scrounge for food because there are no extras.

After the pastors met with congressional offices, I caught up with Pastor Backus to ask how his experience has helped shape or alter the way he views advocacy in the ELCA.

Pastor John Backus: I am glad that the ELCA is involved in advocacy for those who have less than they need. It is important, as we give aid to people and help them become more food-safe, that we ask [those in] power the question, “Why do hunger and need continue to exist on a planet of abundance?”

I will be telling other ELCA Nebraskans what a positive experience we had in D.C. … I will also encourage people to speak with their representative[s] and senator[s], [to tell] those folk of their concern for the world’s poor. 

We thank Pastor Backus and Pastor Truhe for their hard work and dedication to ELCA’s advocacy efforts.

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Do you feel inspired to help feed the hungry and fight poverty? Your gifts are urgently needed to support out church’s response to the root causes of hunger and poverty.

Visit ELCA World Hunger to donate today!​

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Typhoon Haiyan: Recovery Work Continues Six Months Later

Megan Brandsrud

​Typhoon Haiyan banner photo

Six months ago, Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) crashed into the Philippines. As one of the strongest storms in recorded history, it affected more than 14 million people and destroyed approximately 1 million homes. More than 6,200 people were reported dead as a result of the storm, and more than one thousand people still remain missing.

Working with Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Disaster Response was active on the ground in the Philippines days after Typhoon Haiyan made landfall. A lot of recovery work has been done in the past six months. Projects have involved shelter repair, cash-for-work programs, non-food item distributions, livelihood rehabilitation, and water and sanitation intervention programs.

Here is a breakdown of some of the recovery projects in process:

Shelter: Working with Habitat for Humanity Philippines, 1,457 households have received shelter repair kits, which have impacted 7,285 people. Repair kits include things such as plywood, coco lumber, iron roofing sheets, nails, hammers and saws. These kits allow people to return home.

Cash-for-Work: More than 18,000 people have participated in cash-for-work debris removal programs. This means that people are able to contribute to their community by taking part in clean-up efforts, and they can receive money to be able to make prioritized spending decisions that are right for their family. Cash-for-work programs are beneficial because even though millions of people were impacted by the same disaster, they were impacted in different ways and have different needs as they recover.

Water: The availability of clean drinking water was a major concern tackled after the storm, and 240 community water filtration units have been installed in child-friendly places, such as schools.

Delia Moreno is a grandmother to three children. She and her grandchildren were in her home in Maya barangay of northern Cebu when Typhoon Haiyan was approaching. They quickly ran to a neighbor’s sturdier home for shelter.

“We ran for our lives,” Delia said. “I prayed that I would receive God’s graces and survive the storm.”

They all survived the storm, but Delia’s house did not. When they emerged from her neighbor’s home, they saw that all that remained of Delia’s home was a pile of debris.

However, on Nov. 23, just two weeks after Typhoon Haiyan destroyed her home, Delia received a shelter repair kit and with the help of her nephew, she rebuilt her home.

“I am so happy,” she said.

There have been great strides in recovery in the six months since Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, but there is still a long way to go. Thanks to your generosity, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to work with our brothers and sisters in the Philippines as they continue to rebuild and recover. To help provide assistance to those who need it most, you can give a gift to the Lutheran Disaster Response – Pacific Typhoon fund. Donations from people like you allow the church to be present and active in this long journey to recovery.

The one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. -Philippians 1:6

Please visit the Lutheran Disaster Response Facebook page for more photos of Typhoon Haiyan recovery projects.

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“Our God Shows Up to Fight for Justice” – Reflections on Advocacy Efforts Throughout the World

Lauren Blatt, MDiv Student, Lutheran Theological Seminary – Pennsylvania

​May 12, 2014​

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Last week, the Lutheran Office for World Community (NY) hosted the 2014 Nolde Seminar on Theology and Human Rights. The seminar explores questions about the dignity of human life, its relation to Christian and spiritual values, and the challenges facing the international community. ​This call to focus on international human rights was inspired by Dr. Frederick Nolde​ and his family. Dr. Nolde was Dean of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and taught Christian Education from the 1940’s through the 1960’s. He helped influence the UN Charter in promoting global human rights, and wrote the Religious Freedom section in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  ​

​Lauren Blatt, ​who is presently attending the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia to achieve a Master’s of Divinity, gives us her insights into the 2014 Seminar below.​

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​Finding God’s Work

The thing about God is that you can never be quite sure what God is up to… As people of faith, we look at the entire world through theological spectacles even when we don’t try. It’s not a conscious recollection of what God has done in our lives or a realization of what God is doing in our lives. This is just how we see the world and how we see God. That is not to say that we don’t get angry or throw our hands toward the heavens in exhaustion and wonder at times why God has yet to make things right. We expect quick answers, we expect our infinite and intimate God to topple the systems of oppression in our society, but that is not quite who our God is…Our God is a God who shows up in the suffering. Our God shows up in the last reasonable place we would ever think to look. Our God shows up in a stable, walking the dusty roads, and on a cross to die the death of a criminal.

What is more, our God shows up to fight for justice with us. Our God accompanies us as we consider the evils of our society. Our God opens our eyes and breaks our hearts when the least, the last and the lost experience great upsets—Suddenly we realize that WE ARE the least, the last, and the lost. We realize that we have nothing more than the marginalized, the downtrodden, or the heartbroken. We have what they have, namely Jesus the Christ.

​Over a three-day stint we met with members of the United Nations community. We met with people affiliated with faith-based organizations, and we met with individuals who worked on a strictly secular basis. We heard speakers from across the world and within various different disciples. We heard about apartheid in the Holy Land, the reconciliation efforts in South Africa, the global food crisis, and many other important topics. We were exhausted, not simply because we were jam packed with speakers, but because we were moved and propelled by the Holy Spirit to consider action. Our hearts were moved by God through the mouth of every speaker to seek justice and love mercy, all the while knowing that Christ walks with us in our times of great triumph and immeasurable pain.

Nolde_4_Ambassador Mashabane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We began to recognize the myth that our church is dying—that all churches are dying. We were moved to realize that our God is doing something amazing in this world, our God is doing something incredible in this world, our God is doing something in this world—it is so bright. God is not finished with this world, and our God loves us more than anything we could ever imagine. Our God is a God of abundance—abundant love, blessing, perseverance, and above all abundant accompaniment—our God will never leave us. ​

Living Through Christ

The author of the Gospel of Luke writes (referring to Jesus), “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel…” There is nothing that gets to the heart of disappointment, the heart of what it meant to be human than to say, “We had hoped”. It refers to the disciples’ hope that Jesus was the one that they had waited for throughout history—the one who would finally take away the pain. The disciples knew what it was like to live in a world of sin and death. Even after Jesus is raised from the dead, it is clear that the disciples and the rest of the human populace still live in a world of sin and death—they still live in a field of crosses. Each and every one of us is still hanging on the cross because we have not yet been raised. A life lived for Christ, a life propelled by Christ, is a life that is lived cruciform. We live in relationship to God (vertically), but the only way that this relationship works is through the relationships that we have (horizontally) with our brothers and sisters on earth. It is through our love for our neighbors that we are able to love God. When we realize that Christ is in every person our hearts burn in the knowing, but our hearts also burn with justice—knowing that the grace that God has given us is one that demands a response. This response remains separate from our salvation, but it is a response that happens when the grace of God overflows from our cups.

The reality of the United Nations is one that we, as Christians, and as humans can be proud of… like Mother Theresa writes, “We have forgotten that we belong to one another”. We belong to each other. We are all one. We must take action against sin, death, and the devil—we must take action against injustice because every human has inalienable rights that reflect the human’s relationship to God. We are made in God’s image and because of this reality we are bearers of God. God resides in us, our faces reflect the face of God, and actions against humanity—crimes against humanity, against human dignity are against God. There is much work to be done in our world, and we recognize how easy it is to throw our hands in the air after pure exhaustion, but the reality is that our God calls us to action. To steal the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s phrase, “It’s God’s work, our hands”.

Jonathan, Trena, Joshua, Theresa, Jessica, Daniel, and I were honored to spend time with representatives to the United Nations and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Want to learn more about ELCA’s commitment to advocating for public policy that creates opportunities to overcome poverty, promotes peace and justice, and supports the care for creation?

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Disaster Relief Team Travels to New Jersey, Marks 50th Trip

Megan Brandsrud

​This week, 33 volunteers from St. Philip’s Disaster Relief Ministry of St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Fridley, Minn., traveled to New Jersey to assist in Hurricane Sandy recovery projects.

This trip marked St. Philip’s Disaster Relief Ministry’s 50th trip since the ministry formed in 2006.

St. Philip's 50th trip certificate

St. Philip’s Disaster Relief Ministry has traveled around the country meeting people who have been impacted by disasters and helping them rebuild their homes.

“St. Philip’s Disaster Ministry has been a great leader in volunteering to help those impacted by disasters,” Lutheran Disaster Response Program Director Mike Stadie said. “I don’t know of any other ELCA congregation that has helped as many people all over the country. Their commitment to helping those in need is inspirational.”

St. Philip’s Disaster Relief Ministry’s current trip to New Jersey was coordinated by Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey (LSMNJ) and A Future with Hope. Please visit LSMNJ’s website for more details about this story and Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts.

Pictured: Members of St. Philip’s Disaster Ministry receive certificate from Lutheran Disaster Response Program Director Michael Stadie and Amy Pennenga, disaster response coordinator for LSMNJ.

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Central African Republic: Distributing Seed for the Rainy Season

Megan Brandsrud

​Security in the Central African Republic (CAR) still remains a major issue, as armed fighting and looting continues. According to a May 1, 2014, report from the United Nations, there are approximately 584,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in CAR and more than 2.5 million people who are in great need of assistance.

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says the number of children being treated for severe acute malnutrition in CAR has tripled. This is in large part a result of families missing last year’s planting season because of the violence in the country and thus having a minimal harvest this year. The fighting in CAR has also disrupted many families’ livelihoods, meaning there isn’t money to buy food.

Knowing that food security is a major concern in CAR, Lutheran Disaster Response collaborated with our global companion church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Central African Republic (EELRCA), to provide assistance. From April 17 – April 29, Lutheran Disaster Response, with the EELRCA, distributed seeds and farming tools to people in the Bohong region of CAR who have been impacted by the ongoing armed violence in the country.      Distributing peanut seed

Since the rainy season is approaching in CAR, the seeds are arriving just in time for planting. This will allow farmers to restore their livelihoods and have food for next year.

The supplies included:

  • 12.2 tons of seed for corn
  • 2.7 tons of seed for beans
  • 5.2 tons of seed  for peanuts
  • 2,000 hoes (hand plows)
  • 600 files for sharpening the hoes and other farm tools

More than 2,000 households received seed and farming supplies from the distribution.

The EELRCA is committed to serving as the church even though they are living in the midst of this crisis, and with them, Lutheran Disaster Response is providing assistance to those who need it most.

“We thought that we were abandoned to ourselves, but the church is always thinking about us,” said one beneficiary at the seed distribution.

A woman who received seed expressed how this will help her restore her livelihood. “I am filled with joy,” she said. “I will plant the seed and after harvest, I will eat and sell the surplus. Thanks to all the people [in the USA] who are thinking about us.”

Committed to an inter-faith reconciliation, the EELRCA welcomed anyone who could benefit from the seed distribution. One Muslim man who received seed was happy to be able to plant and harvest food for himself and his neighbors.

Happy beneficiary from Muslim community share a laugh with the women

The need in CAR is still very great, and we will continue to work with our companion, the EELRCA, as we provide assistance to people in CAR who are still being impacted by the violence in their country.

President Golike of the EELRCA will be visiting the ELCA Churchwide Office during the week of May 12. Stay tuned for a new post with an interview with President Golike.

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Food for Families at Spanaway Lutheran Church

Henry Martinez

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Food pantries get started in a variety of ways. For Spanaway Lutheran Church, it was when Lawanna Lee, founder and co-pastor of El Shaddai Christian Ministries in nearby Tacoma, Washington called to ask about the possibility of developing a partnership. Shortly after a visit to Tacoma, and approval from Spanaway’s congregational council, they were on their way to starting the Food for Families program. The congregation is one of 384 organizations addressing hunger and poverty to receive an ELCA World Hunger funded domestic hunger grant in 2014. Of those 384 organizations, 45 are receiving funds for food pantries.

One thing that makes Food for Families unique is that it is open on Sundays following the worship service. The congregation saw that opening the pantry on Sunday would serve a couple important needs. The first being the acknowledgment that hunger doesn’t rest. Spanaway Lutheran serves an area with a 16.3% poverty rate (numbers from 2012 census data). Other food pantries nearby are open Monday through Friday, but oftentimes during hours that are not the most convenient for families who have to work during the week.

According to congregation member and Food for Families director Edna Coonc, the congregation has served 250 families (about 1,200 people) in almost two years since the program started. Approximately 80% of the clients are families with children. The congregation purchases enough food for ten families each week (about 700 pounds of food) from El Shaddai Ministries, while also receiving donated food from the congregation. This allows them to serve fifteen families each week. The families can choose what they need for the week from a selection that includes meat, produce, pastries, and other staple items. Food for Families also benefits the before and after school education (BASE) ministry of the congregation, a program serving Kindergarten to 5th grade students.

The second reason for opening the pantry on Sunday is for community and the opportunity for fellowship that wouldn’t be available during the week. Coonc says, “We invite the people who come into the food shelf to stay for a cup of coffee. I’ve heard people say, ‘you guys aren’t judging us’ and ‘we don’t feel like you guys are pointing us out.'” This has provided the opportunity for relationships to develop where patrons of the food pantry have joined the congregation and become volunteers of the ministry. It requires a communal effort with congregation members giving financial and material donations as well as their time. Coonc reports that approximately 20 volunteers help keep the ministry going.

But the community aspect runs deeper than just getting bodies for a particular ministry. Pastor John Schier-Hanson feels that having the Food for Families pantry open on Sunday allows for something else to happen. He says, “Charity has become institutionalized in this country. The giver and receiver have become disconnected. But I think there is a redemptive quality for both giver and receiver to experience here— for the receiver it’s knowing that someone cares for them, for the giver it functions to feel they are not just giving to a cause, but to a person and family. It helps us realize that we are part of the same body. We’re all in this life together.”

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State Advocacy Spotlight: California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California

May 2, 2014

Water issues

California’s unprecedented drought – continue to receive attention from the Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California (LOPP-CA), as legislators and stakeholders contentiously negotiate a multi-billion dollar general obligation bond proposals for the November election ballot, which would invest in water efficiency, supply, reliability, and watershed and ecosystem health.   As compromise remains elusive and a late June deadline looms, one legislative author has a daily countdown posted on his Capitol door, stating the remaining number of days to “‘AQUAPOCOLYPSE”.

CA_Oil and Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water from far Northern California rivers is pumped out of the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta and transported via aqueducts to Southern California.  Massive pumps in Kern County, near Interstate 5, push water over the Tehachapi Mountains in Los Angeles.  Debates over the amount and timing of water transfers, and end uses of water, are part of the perpetual “water wars” in California. 

LOPP-CA director Mark Carlson was one of four presenters for an Earth Week webinar on The Sacredness of Water, produced by DC-based Creation Justice Ministries, offering a perspective on the drought.   One subtext of the water debates and choices underway involves low-income, disadvantaged rural and urban communities in California that lack safe drinking water (other than expensive bottled water), because of groundwater contamination by agricultural or industrial chemicals. LOPP-CA is a co-host, with other partners, in the gala premier of the documentary film Thirsty for Justice – The Struggle for the Human Right to Water, at the California Museum Theater on May 14. http://ejcw.org/thirsty/

The Spanish translation and dvd reproduction for this film, making it accessible to many of those who are affected by the lack of clean water, are partially funded by ELCA World Hunger.  One segment of the film addresses the lack of clean water for drinking and hygiene for people who are homeless.

 

Immigration Day at the Capitol – May 19

Immigrant Day at the Capitol is when LOPP-CA seeks to engage Lutherans in standing with California’s diverse immigrant communities in celebrating their gifts and advancing their policy concerns, which this year will include access to health care for all.

 

Hunger Action Day – May 21

The Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California is working with the Lutheran Episcopal Volunteer Network, LEVN, to participate in this annual Capitol advocacy day focused on poverty and hunger.  LEVN is a program of The Belfry, the Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at the University of California at Davis.  LEVN participants, similar to the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, are placed for a year with various Sacramento-Davis area social service agencies and non-profits, including Lutheran Social Services of Northern California (focus on youth and young adults aging out of foster care), the Alchemist Community Development Corporation (farmers’ markets and SNAP nutrition outreach), and People Reaching Out (SNAP outreach).   Last year, LOPP-CA organized an initial “Day at the Capitol” for LEVN participants and staff that included meeting with legislators.

Visit the Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California at http://www.loppca.org or follow them on facebook.

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State Advocacy Spotlight: New Jersey

Sara Lilja, Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry (LOGM)

May 2, 2014

 

Following the Churchwide Assembly in Pittsburgh this past summer Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry (LOGM) in New Jersey is witnessing the Spirit move in our midst.  Our state legislature and governor are ready to act on criminal justice reform, as so are we.  After the wider church agreed to its newest Social Statement, “The Church and Criminal Justice:  Hearing the Cries” we set out visiting congregations and communities hearing about the need for reform in the criminal justice system in NJ specifically in the areas of Bail and Sentencing reform, and Parole/ Re-entry issues among others.  At the same time our elected officials were doing similar listening.  Now legislation is moving! LOGM is supporting several bills and engaging congregations to assist these “grass roots ideas” to more through both houses, and onto the governor’s desk to be made into law.

Through this Social Statement we are reminded that, “Individuals must be held accountable, but every person in the criminal justice system deserves to be seen and treated as a member of human communities, created in the image of God and worthy of appropriate and compassionate response. “

To this end, we are advocating for passage of the Presumptive Parole Act, which would allow for the release of certain nonviolent offenders upon their first parole eligibility Senate (Bill 677), We are also advocating for Senate Bill 947/Assembly Bill 1910 which would restructure our bail system so that people are not held behind bars while awaiting trail simply because they cannot afford to pay for their release.  We are also working on a bill known as “The Opportunity to Compete Act” which would end the practice of asking on the front page of a job application if the applicant had ever been convicted of a crime, even before they had an interview for the job.

These are not bills that are soft of crime, they are rather more just administration of the law so that we can reduce the number of persons held prison in our state.  Once released exoffenders must be able to get a job and rebuild their lives with hope for a brighter future for themselves and for our communities.

“For what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

Want to learn more about the Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry in New Jersey? Check them out on facebook (www.facebook.com/logmnj).​

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State Advocacy Spotlight: Illinois

Jennifer De Leon, Lutheran Advocacy – Illinois

May 1, 2014

 

The days are getting longer, so spring must be here. That means that the Illinois Spring legislative session is in full swing and so is Lutheran Advocacy-Illinois. Below are three ways you can get involved!

We are happy to announce that we have made major improvements to our website. On our website you will find a complete list of issues we are working on this session as well as a get involved section where we will highlight specific issues that require immediate attention. Visit us at www.Lutheranadvocacy.org

Our new Facebook page is also up and running. On our page we will post information about specific campaigns and issues as they are happening in Springfield  www.facebook.com/LutheranAdvocacyIllinois

10th Anniversary of Lutheran Day

Lutheran Day Illinois.png

This year is the 10th Anniversary of Lutheran Day in Springfield. Please join us on May 13, 2014  in Springfield as we build relationships with public officials, showcase the active engagement of Lutherans in pursuing the common good, and build camaraderie among Lutheran advocates in Illinois. To register and for more information, please go tohttp://www.lutheranday.org/. ​

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State Advocacy Spotlight: Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale and The Rev. Amy Reumann, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa)

Creating A New Conversation about Poverty

May 1, 2014

 

LAMPa is helping Pennsylvania lawmakers get beyond rhetoric so 1.6 million Pennsylvanians can get beyond poverty. Last summer, House Majority Policy Committee Chairman David Reed, a Republican serving rural Indiana County, approached LAMPa, along with other faith advocates, and asked us to help create a new kind of discussion around poverty in order to move past entrenched partisan views and divisions.

Over the past several months Rep. Reed and his committee traveled the state to visit anti-poverty programs and hear from advocates. LAMPa connected the committee to Lutherans in ministry with and on behalf of the poor in Pennsylvania who shared their stories.  On Monday, Reed unveiled “Beyond Poverty,” the first report stemming from visits and interviews around the commonwealth.  In it, he outlines a five-prong strategy for helping to move some 1.6 million Pennsylvanians from poverty to lives of self-sustainability.  As the process moves forward, LAMPa continues to engage Lutherans with lawmakers on this subject.

On May 6, Reed will address more than 100 people at Lutheran Day in the Capitol.  Attendees are then invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with committee members and staff. That discussion will be followed by a workshop on communal discernment around poverty led by the Rev. William Snyder, LAMPa policy council member and Vice President Marketing and Philanthropy at Luthercare.  We will be using the report of the ELCA’s Communal Discernment Task Force as a tool. The goal of the workshop is to equip Lutherans to move beyond partisan rhetoric and engage in authentic dialogue about the roots and tolls of poverty as well as our call to seek sufficient, sustainable livelihood for all.

Want to learn more? Check out LAMPa’s website and follow them on facebook (LAMPaAdvocacy) and twitter(@LAMPaADVOCACY)!​

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