ELCA presiding bishop responds to shootings in Baton Rouge and St. Paul

          CHICAGO (ELCA) – In a July 7 video message responding to the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minn., the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), urged members to "be present in our communities."
          "We are killing ourselves, and until we in the white community feel that the death of a person of color is our death too, it's not going to change," said Eaton.
          Eaton's message is available at http://bit.ly/29ljMDv.
          On Friday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. (CDT) the ELCA will be live streaming a service of prayer and lament from the offices of the churchwide organization over the loss of lives due to gun violence and racism. Watch live and join us in prayer at ELCA.org/blacklivesmatter. A recording of the worship service will be available for those who are unable to view it live.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.7 million members in more than 9,300 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.​

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