CBO Newsletter
March, 2008
Introducing the new CBO Director, Rev. Susan Engh
Greetings! I've been in my position as ELCA Director for Congregation-based Organizing since October of 2007. I'm finally getting around to formally introducing myself to you. What that indicates is that I had plenty of work to do from the get-go, and it has stayed steady all along the way. That's good! And it's also fun. So let me tell you a bit about myself, as well as some of that work that has kept me so occupied and joyful. [read more] Vital Congregations – Just Communities (VCJC) Initiative The ELCA Conference of Bishops (COB), in January of 2006, dedicated their annual Academy to training in congregation-based organizing, As a direct result, the COB committee on Ministry Among People in Poverty (MAPP) authorized and funded an initiative to bring similar 3-day organizing “primers” to up to 20 synods this year and early next. So far 11 synods have applied and qualified, and 13 more are in various stages of considering participation. [read more] Lutheran Domestic Hunger Grants Awarded – many of them for organizing! In mid March members of the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants allocation table met for three intense days to determine how to distribute over $800,000 of Hunger Appeal funds. Ten percent of the grant applications came from groups around the country doing congregation-based organizing. Although not all grant requests can be funded, and few get funded at the level requested, a full 10% of the grants awarded were for organizing initiatives, totaling $80,000 of new Lutheran money going to 38 different projects. [
read more]
Inter-religious Organizing Initiative How would it feel to know that the ELCA is a leading denomination in the field of congregation-based organizing? Well, we are! It’s becoming a less-well-kept secret all the time. We’re founding members of the Inter-religious Organizing Initiative (IOI), formed in 2002 when ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and Dr. William Shaw, President of the National Baptist Convention USA, convened a meeting of their peers from several national faith bodies. They discussed how to build capacity, within faith groups and in the public arena, through the principles of congregation-based organizing. [read more]The ELCA’s Congregation-based Organizing Team (CBOT) So who’s on this CBOT and what exactly do they do? First of all, a warm welcome to our newest member Rev. Ron Luckey, pastor at Faith Lutheran in Lexington KY, and a leader in his local DART affiliate. [
read more]
Introducing the new CBO Director, Rev. Susan Engh
Greetings! I've been in my position as ELCA Director for Congregation-based Organizing since October of 2007. I'm finally getting around to formally introducing myself to you. What that indicates is that I had plenty of work to do from the get-go, and it has stayed steady all along the way. That's good! And it's also fun. So let me tell you a bit about myself, as well as some of that work that has kept me so occupied and joyful.
As you probably know, the fact that this is now considered a “permanent” position in the Church in Society Program Unit makes it Chicago-based. So I moved from Minnesota and set up house-keeping in an apartment near the Lutheran Center. My husband continues in his long-time job in the Twin Cities, so we’ve begun the great commuter marriage experiment. Our daughter was married this past summer, and our son is a sophomore at Luther College. My husband points out that he’s taken the empty nester syndrome to a whole new level!
Prior to taking this position, I was a full-time organizer for 4 years with ISAIAH, a Gamaliel affiliate operating in the Twin Cities and St. Cloud regions in Minnesota. Before that I had served 16 years as a parish pastor in two different congregations in the Minneapolis Area Synod, the first in the inner-city and the second in suburban Excelsior. As a parish pastor, I was active 
in ISAIAH, as a leader of its Clergy and Religious Leaders Caucus. So I’ve experienced organizing from both the leader and staff perspectives. I also headed up an initiative in our synod to bring a significant number of Lutheran congregations into ISAIAH. All of these roles render me well qualified, I believe, for the position of Director for CBO in the ELCA.
During my first couple months as CBO Director I concentrated on doing one-to-one’s with various key staff, both in Church and Society and elsewhere in the building. This focus helped me do a “power analysis” of the situation at Churchwide as well as establish some important rapport and trust with my colleagues. I will continue to schedule strategic one-to-ones within the ELCA, but I’m also moving outward into synods, organizing networks, and other important realms. I look forward to meeting and partnering with you! [return to top]
Vital Congregations – Just Communities (VCJC) Initiative
The ELCA Conference of Bishops (COB), in January of 2006, dedicated their annual Academy to training in congregation-based organizing, As a direct result, the COB committee on Ministry Among People in Poverty (MAPP) authorized and funded an initiative to bring similar 3-day organizing “primers” to up to 20 synods this year and early next. So far 11 synods have applied and qualified, and 13 more are in various stages of considering participation.
The first VCJC event took place in the Twin Cities, with the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area Synods gathering over 100 participants! The Alaska, Greater Milwaukee, Indiana-Kentucky, and Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synods are the others that have theirs scheduled, all in the fall of ‘08.
In February, in preparation for these synodical trainings, 22 leaders from a number of synods, representing various organizing networks, gathered in Norcross, GA for a “practitioner-theologian” training event. These folks – mostly rostered leaders – are now equipped to provide the biblical and theological components which are key for the VCJC events. They created the raw material for a resource soon to be released for other leaders to draw from as the biblical and theological presenters at their own VCJC events.
If you’re reading this and wondering if your synod plans to participate, you can do one or both of two things to find out: (A) contact your synod office and inquire of the bishop or a bishop’s assistant. (B) contact CBO Director Susan Engh and she can let you know. Contacting your own synod office is a good idea because it lets them know that people are interested, and perhaps lights a fire under those who have been slow to respond!
These Vital Congregations – Just Communities 3-day training events should result in many positive outcomes. As Lutherans new to organizing gain knowledge about how its principles can both strengthen congregational life and lead to more effective public arena ministry, they will be more open to engaging with local efforts operating in each region. This can mean expansion opportunities for organizing networks. With more Lutherans, raising their public voices more powerfully, in chorus with inter-faith and other community partners, social change can more effectively happen for the common good. [return to top]
Lutheran Domestic Hunger Grants Awarded – many of them for organizing!
In mid March members of the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants allocation table met for three intense days to determine how to distribute over $800,000 of Hunger Appeal funds. Ten percent of the grant applications came from groups around the country doing congregation-based organizing. Although not all grant requests can be funded, and few get funded at the level requested, a full 10% of the grants awarded were for organizing initiatives, totaling $80,000 of new Lutheran money going to 38 different projects.
Though we might hope for more ELCA Hunger dollars to go to organizing, and in fact that is a long-range goal, it’s good to know that the percentage of organizing requests matched the percentage of awards granted. CBO Director Susan Engh is a member of the Domestic Hunger Grants allocation table. She found this, her first experience with the allocations process, to be quite beneficial, both in terms of the funds allocated for organizing and for the opportunity to further orient other team members to the world of organizing and its important role in the public church aspect of the ELCA’s mission.
Susan also learned the importance of spreading the word, especially among organizing practitioners, that these ELCA Hunger dollars are indeed available for efforts that go beyond relief, direct services, and development, and into root-cause justice efforts. Those of us involved in organizing should continue to apply for these grants each year. When we receive these grants, we should make known the fact that our funding comes in part from the ELCA Hunger Appeal. And, we should encourage leaders and congregations to give generously to the Hunger Appeal, in order to grow these funds and thereby grow the amounts and percentages available for organizing. Ten percent is terrific, but imagine 30% or greater, coming from a fuller funding stream, in the coming years! [return to top]
Inter-religious Organizing Initiative
How would it feel to know that the ELCA is a leading denomination in the field of congregation-based organizing? Well, we are! It’s becoming a less-well-kept secret all the time. We’re founding members of the Inter-religious Organizing Initiative (IOI), formed in 2002 when ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and Dr. William Shaw, President of the National Baptist Convention USA, convened a meeting of their peers from several national faith bodies. They discussed how to build capacity, within faith groups and in the public arena, through the principles of congregation-based organizing.
The result of that gathering of faith body leaders was the commissioning of the “IOI Table” which was given the tasks of (1) deepening the institutional and congregational capacities of its faith traditions to be more powerfully engaged in public life for the sake of justice and on behalf of all that God is creating; and (2) developing processes and capacities for building power in order to win on justice issues at the national level.
The IOI Table has convened periodically over the past six years, so far engaging representatives from 10 faith traditions, four national organizing networks, 6 additional faith-in-public-life organizations, as well as several key funders. This past year there has been renewed activity and enthusiasm, culminating in a large gathering in Nashville TN, hosted by leaders from the National Baptist Convention USA. Each faith group present committed to the development of its own working team that will promote the principles of congregation-based organizing within its own structure, and for the sake of inter-faith collaboration in the public arena around national issues.
The ELCA has had a working group, known as the Congregation-based Organizing Team (CBOT) ever since the position of CBO Director was established over six years ago. Since we have both a full-time director and a high-functioning CBOT, our counterparts at the IOI table have come to depend on us to lead the way. They cite as enviable our three national CBOSS (Congregation Based Organizing Strategic Summit) events (in ’02, ’04, and ’06), our Conference of Bishops’ 2006 Academy devoted to organizing, and our ability and commitment to granting funds for organizing out of our Hunger Appeal.
The IOI is in the process of soliciting engagement and funds from member faith groups to hire a full-time director and to identify and take on its first national issue. The ELCA has provided a $25,000 challenge grant to our IOI counterparts, and Bishop Hanson has issued an invitation to current and prospective IOI members to step up and significantly strengthen this inter-faith enterprise. In May the group convenes in Denver to solidify these latest developments and determine next steps to becoming a powerful force for justice and the common good. [return to top]
The ELCA’s Congregation-based Organizing Team (CBOT)
So who’s on this CBOT and what exactly do they do? First of all, a warm welcome to our newest member Rev. Ron Luckey, pastor at Faith Lutheran in Lexington KY, and a leader in his local DART affiliate.
Ron joins ongoing members: Diaconal Minister and team chair Eva Creydt Schulte, Director of her local PICO affiliate in Kansas City, MO; Rev. Sue Gaeta, pastor at Divine Word Lutheran in Milwaukee and leader in her local Gamaliel affiliate; Rev. Dennis (Jake) Jacobsen, pastor at Incarnation Lutheran in Milwaukee and leader in his local Gamaliel affiliate; Rev. Lucy Kolin, pastor at Resurrection Lutheran in Oakland CA and leader in her local PICO affiliate; Rev. Terry Moe, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran in Portland OR and leader in his local IAF affiliate; and Ron Williams, organizer for the Black Parent Initiative in Portland OR and leader in his local IAF affiliate.
We’re currently seeking an additional new member to represent organizing taking place on the east coast or in the southern U.S. Contact Rev. Engh or CBOT chair Eva Creydt Schulte.
At its February meeting, CBOT members each committed to chairing working groups of the CBOT in the following areas: CBOSS IV in ’09 (Ron Williams and Terry Moe), Seminary Engagement in CBO (Lucy Kolin and Sue Gaeta), IOI (Dennis Jacobsen), First Call Theological Education and CBO (Ron Luckey), International Organizing (Eva Creydt Schulte). These team members are “on the hunt” for Lutheran organizing practitioners to join them in their efforts to further these aspects of our work across the ELCA. So if you or someone you know has a particular interest in any of these areas, contact the appropriate team member and find out how you can contribute to the cause. [return to top]
We give thanks: With the transition in the role of CBO Director, a couple CBOT members have taken the opportunity to move on to other things. Thanks to Rev. Bob Klonowski for his many years of leadership and passion. Bob was recently installed as the pastor at Faith Lutheran in Homewood IL. Thanks as well to Rev. Mark Jaramillo, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Kenosha WI.
ELCA.org
Many of you have inquired as to the status of the ELCA Web site, and referenced some problems you’ve had either finding the CBO link or registering your church as an organizing congregation.
Now that you've been cought up on recent activities, go to the new CBO site, and let us know what you think, what you recommend, and what you’re willing to contribute to make it a truly powerful resource for all of us.