ELCA Women Retain Ethnic Events

ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- The Fourth Triennial Convention of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) defeated a resolution calling on the organization "to abandon labels designating persons from ethnic and national cultural backgrounds." The decision followed debate including the pros and cons of holding a Women of Color Gathering before the convention.
The convention, which includes delegates from 64 ELCA synods, is meeting here July 8-11 at the America's Center. The organization's three-year theme, "Live God's Justice," is unveiled at the convention amid Bible study, keynote addresses, workshops, business sessions and elections.
The Women of Color Gathering was held here July 5-7 at the Marriott Pavilion Downtown. More than 400 African American, American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Latina, Middle Eastern and Arab, and European American women gathered to create support systems and to share common concerns through Bible study, community caucuses, workshops and worship.
The women's organization of the ELCA's Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod offered the resolution "in favor of joint meetings which emphasize cross-cultural, multicultural and cross-community sharing and learning opportunities for all members of the Women of the ELCA."
Introducing the resolution, Patricia Lyon of the Northern Texas-Northe= rn Louisiana Synod asked the convention to "stop segregating ourselves into groups." To be one community of faith, she said, Women of the ELCA should stop hosting a Women of Color Gathering and incorporate its programs into the full convention which has attracted 4,000 participants.
"There are times when it is important to be together, and there are times when it is important to be with others whose interests are similar to our own," said Jackie Hinkle Chattopadhyay of the ELCA's Pacifica Synod. She said the smaller gathering is necessary to address issues at a more personal level.
Denise Smith of the ELCA's Alaska Synod said she was unable to attend both the gathering and the convention, and chose the convention. She said she hoped the convention could have been an opportunity to "celebrate our diversity together." Having two events drives "wedges" between groups of women, she said.
A purpose of the gathering is "to strengthen the gifts of women of color not to separate groups of women," said Linda Chinnia, Baltimore, president-elect for Women of the ELCA. The ideal would be that such a gathering would be unnecessary, she said, but the reality is that it is necessary.
A committee preparing resolutions from synodical women's organizations for the convention recommended that the resolution be defeated. Some confusion about whether the convention was voting on the resolution or the committee's recommendation caused a positive vote to be reconsidered. After it was clarified that the vote was on the synod's resolution, 84.5 percent of the delegates voted "no."

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