CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will consider adding a document called "Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All: A Social Statement on Economic Life" to its series of social statements. The ELCA Church Council received the document from the ELCA Division for Church in Society and placed it on the agenda of the church's next assembly.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide assemblies. The council met here April 9-12. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is August 16-22 in Denver.
The proposed social statement describes itself as a way to "assess economic life today in light of the moral imperative to seek sufficient, sustainable livelihood for all."
The implementing resolution on the assembly's agenda adopts the social statement, calls Lutherans to work for a sufficient, sustainable livelihood for everyone and increase their giving to the ELCA's hunger relief programs, encourages the various ministries and institutions of the church to work for economic justice, directs the units of the church "to review and adjust their programs and practices in light of this social statement," and asks the church's educational institutions "to develop programs and educational resources in light of this statement so people can be better prepared to respond to the challenges of economic life."
The proposed statement devotes sections to explain the title: "For All: Especially Those Living in Poverty;" "Livelihood: Vocation, Work and Human Dignity;" "Sufficiency: Enough But Not Too Much;" and "Sustainability: Of the Environment, Agriculture and Low-Income Communities." Each of those sections includes actions to which "we commit ourselves as a church" and actions which "we call for" in the wider society.
Council members suggested several editorial changes to the 16-page document, which will inform the editorial process during the assembly, said the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive director of the ELCA Division for Church in Society.
The division assists the ELCA in considering moral issues, prepares social statements and messages, coordinates the church's world hunger and domestic disaster response programs, relates to 280 social ministry organizations through Lutheran Services in America, develops education and program resources on social issues, and coordinates the ELCA's advocacy with state, national, and international governmental bodies and with institutions in the private sector.
Since the ELCA was formed in 1988 it has adopted a foundational statement on the church in society and social statements on abortion, the death penalty, the environment, peace and racism.
EDITORS: The full text of the proposed social statement can be seen at
http://www.elca.org/DCS/suffsus.html
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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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 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities 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.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
