Since its inception, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has grappled with the profound challenge of achieving authentic racial diversity. This struggle, deeply rooted in our history, has led to a church membership that currently represents less than 10% of People of Color. In 2016, a resolution was presented to the Churchwide Assembly to create a task force to develop recommendations to assist the church in increasing more diverse representation.

‍

The task force, composed entirely of people of color and those whose primary language is other than English, listened to the experiences of communities historically underrepresented within the ELCA and society. Mindful of working constructively with white allies within the church, the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ), now known as the Association of White Lutherans for Racial Justice, worked alongside the task force as allies. Working in partnership with the staff of the Churchwide Organization, the task force developed a series of recommendations and actions to engage the whole church in removing inequitable barriers, recognizing the diversity already within this church, the importance of leadership development, the woundedness of racism, greater accountability of policies, programs funding, and governance to ELCA People of Color. The document, How Strategic and Authentic is Our Diversity: A Call for Confession, Reflection, and Healing Action (STAD), was adopted by the fifteenth triennial Churchwide Assembly on August 9, 2019, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  To view the document, visit: Strategy_Toward_Authentic_Diversity.pdf (elca.org)

‍

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is pleased to announce the Strategy Towards Authentic Diversity Mini-Grants. $33,000 has been allocated to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the ELCA.  Faithfulness to the Biblical mandate to proclaim the Gospel requires fostering actions that promote equity, fairness, and justice across all three expressions of the ELCA and society.  Grant-funded projects, activities, programs, events, and plans must relate to an area of focus named in the STAD: Theological Education, Leadership Development, Partnerships with Ecumenical and interreligious partners, Healing Actions from racism and other forms of oppression, Antiracism education, and Structural Accountability through policy and/or programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

‍

Mini grants are seed grants designed to launch and support new or existing projects, policies, and events that promote or relate to the Strategy Towards Authentic Diversity themes.  Individuals, associations, congregations, synods, and organizations affiliated with the ELCA are eligible to apply. Mini grants in the requested amount of $500-2,500. The total funding disbursement amount is $33,000, and the average grant funding amount will be $800.

‍