Minnesota Lutheran Bishops Issue Statement on Farm Crisis

CHICAGO (ELCA) - Six bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), all serving in Minnesota, acknowledged there is a farm crisis in the state and called for action from policy makers, religious leaders and all residents of Minnesota. A bishop heads each of the ELCA's 65 synods.
The bishops released the document, "Lutheran Bishops' Statement on the Farm Crisis," at a news conference May 12 at a meeting of the Minnesota Council of Churches, said the Rev. E. Peter Strommen, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod. The statement has been printed in several Minnesota synod newsletters.
The statement arose from a growing concern about the situation of farming in Minnesota, Strommen said. "The Minnesota Council of Churches met to give a united voice over deep concerns we have about what's happening," he said. Strommen said the Lutheran bishops "felt it was important to release a statement."
The Lutheran bishops added their support to that of Roman Catholic bishops in Minnesota who had released a similar statement prior to the May meeting of the Council of Churches, Strommen said.
"We acknowledge the profound transformation taking place in the social and economic foundation of Minnesota's agricultural industry," the statement said. It was signed by Strommen, the Rev. Glenn Nycklemoe, bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod; the Rev. Stanley N. Olson, bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod; the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod; the Rev. David W. Olson, bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod; and the Rev. Arlen D. Hermodson, bishop of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod. They cited greater concentration in production and distribution, globalization of the economy and the deterioration of land, air and water as some of the reasons for change in the industry.
The bishops said they have several specific concerns, including historically low farm prices, consolidations of farms, the exodus of farm families from the land, the decline of rural communities, environmental degradation and increasing rates of rural poverty.
"These are issues which affect all Minnesotans -- regardless of their economic status or the region of the state or type of community in which they live," the bishops said.
The bishops affirmed farming as a vocation that sustains the lives of people across the United States and throughout the world. The statement asked all consumers to consider the "moral and ethical implications of the high levels of risk and low prices faced by farmers coupled with the consumer demand for abundant and low cost food."
The bishops encouraged all residents of Minnesota to support farmers by becoming educated on the issues, providing neighborly care to farm families facing dislocation and praying for farmers and their families.
The statement asked religious leaders to collaborate and call upon public officials to make changes in policies that would ensure fair prices for farmers, promote sustainable agricultural practices and encourage preservation of the land. It also advocated assistance for beginning farmers and job training for those who wish to leave farming.
The ELCA bishops underscored the need to recognize the farm crisis in the Christian tradition of respecting human life and dignity.
"Farming is not only about production, marketing, and supply and demand. It is also about land, people and a way of life," the bishops said.

[**Lisa Smith is graduate of Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, interning
with the ELCA Department for Communication.]

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