Lutherans Tackle Human Rights and Welfare Reform at D.C. Briefing

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- "Just Politics: Briefing '99" offered about 400 participants from various denominations, including about 50 members from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), an opportunity to discuss connections between human rights, economic justice and the faith community's advocacy in public policy. The 29th Annual Interfaith Public Policy Briefing took place here April 24-28.
Through a series of plenary sessions and workshops, participants discussed, deliberated and debated domestic and global human rights issues. Topics ranged from welfare reform to the Kosovo crisis to global warming.
"People cannot survive on a lonely island of poverty. In the 21st century our challenge is to make poverty as immoral as slavery," said the Rev. Andrew Young, during the opening plenary.
Young, a United Church of Christ minister, is chairman of the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund. He served three terms in Congress, was ambassador to the United Nations under former President Jimmy Carter and served two terms as mayor of Atlanta. A top aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he was involved in the inception of the civil rights movement. He will serve as president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. from 2000 to 2001.
"Children are the forgotten piece in welfare reform. People forget to track, or neglect to think about the impact these reforms have on children," said the Rev. Christine E. Iverson, an ELCA pastor, Atchison, Kan. "It's one thing to tell the adults to get training and get a job but the children are the most affected, and no one is tracking these people to find out what is happening to them and their children."
"Far too many people are working at jobs that do not pay a liveable wage, and, because they work, the services available to them are limited," Iverson said. "Children do not have 10 years to wait for us figure out 'how' welfare reform should work."
"The church needs to take the lead in creating a safe place for children and in advocating for children," she said.
Iverson works for Lutheran Disaster Response through Lutheran Social Service of Kansas/Oklahoma, Wichita, in the development of resources for children to help them recover from the emotional and psychological devastation caused by disasters.
Lutheran Disaster Response is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
"Rural areas are often either forgotten or not informed on changes and services in welfare reform," said Meredith A. Lewis, Selinsgrove, Pa. Lewis is a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Sunbury, Pa., a single mother of one and former welfare recipient. Lewis is currently a student majoring in paralegal studies at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
"The primary focus of programs is placed in urban and suburban areas. Case workers out in many rural areas are not informed and many have an uncaring attitude when it comes to doing their jobs. Their job is to help welfare recipients find training and child care and to provide information on other services available to them," Lewis said.
Maureen Shea, religious liaison in the White House Office of Public Liaison, met with Lutheran participants in the Old Executive Office Building of the White House to discuss issues concerning welfare reform and welfare-to-work programs.
The Office of Public Liaison was formed during the Nixon administration. It serves as a communications link between important constituency groups and the White House.
Shea works closely with the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA). "LOGA is a well-respected agency here and on the Hill," said Shea. "We often contact them to get reactions on issues concerning Social Security, health care insurance for children, child care and matters of that nature," she said.
LOGA is the federal public policy advocacy office of the ELCA.
Shea has been involved in public interest and political work since 1977. She has served in the Clinton administration since 1997 as Liaison to the Faith Community. She worked for the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 1997 as Director of Outreach to Women.
Currently Shea is involved with legislation on hate crimes, preserving Social Security and emergency funds to help Central America recover from Hurricane Mitch.
"Here in the United States we are told that we are in the midst of the best economy we've had in 35 years. Unemployment is down to 4.2 percent, and 16 million new jobs have been created since January 1993," said Robert B. Reich. Reich is professor of Economic and Social Policy, Brandeis University, Boston, and former United States Secretary of Labor.
"Although many people in the American economy have never had it so good and many people are doing very well, the median family is just about back to where they were in 1989. They have not gained ground, and they are working harder. The median family is working six weeks more per year for the same income as they were making in 1989," he said.
"If you look at people below the median you will see that they are struggling as hard, if not harder than they every struggled before. Forty-three million Americans do not have any type of health insurance. That is a higher number and a higher percentage than before this marvelous buoyant recovery began. More than one out of five of our children in this country is in poverty today," said Reich.
Nine million children go to bed hungry every night, he said. There is a growing shortage of affordable housing. There are 15 million families with a full-time working member who are still in poverty today in the United States despite the best economy in 35 years, Reich said.
"We are taking people off welfare; that's good. Many of them are getting jobs; that's good. But those jobs are not paying enough to get them out of poverty; that's not good," he said.
The second annual Church State Award was presented to Morene Williams, Athens, Ga., at a dinner sponsored by LOGA.
The ELCA Church/State Award is presented by LOGA to an individual who has demonstrated a deep concern for vulnerable people and a strong passion to alter conditions that cause oppression, said the Rev. Russell O. Siler, director for LOGA. The award recognizes the examples set by people throughout the church who incorporate advocacy as an integral part of their lives.
"Morene Williams lives her faith in church and community. As she has reaches out to people all around her, she has always taken time to speak up and speak out for justice," said Siler.
Williams has served as a congregational council member, Sunday school superintendent and choir member at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Athens. Her churchwide involvement includes member of the executive board for Lutheran Ministry of Georgia. Williams' community involvement includes president of Church Women United, Athens and Georgia, founding director of Hospice of Athens, and she has served as a Girl Scout leader, including member of the executive council.
"In partnership with another member of her synod, she envisioned the 'Ribbons for Peace' campaign which she successfully introduced to her synod. She has been an active member of the Women of the ELCA organization of her synod chairing the peace and justice committee," said Faye Codding, assistant director for grassroots coordination, LOGA.

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