ST. LOUIS (ELCA) "With your commitment toward acting out your faith, you have infused in people like me a load of strength and hope and a renewed commitment," said Priscilla Singh, secretary for women in church and society, Lutheran World Federation, Geneva Switzerland. She addressed 4,000 participants of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at their Fourth Triennial convention. Singh, from India, was one of 13 international guests introduced at the convention.
The Women of the ELCA convention met here July 8-11 at the America's Center. The organization's three-year theme, "Live God's Justice," was unveiled at the convention amid Bible study, keynote addresses, workshops, business sessions and elections.
Anna Purcell-Doll, member of the Women of the ELCA executive board, Suwonee, Ga., introduced international guests Magdelena Ya Shalongo and Gladis Arbazia, Peru; Mwatumai Mwanjota, Ruth Mwalwega, Frida Bagonza and Jessica Bocko, Tanzania; Heba Mosaad Gendi, Egypt; Vilma Rodrigues Belloso, El Salvador; Hniar Ngam and Vung Do Pau, Burma; Iara Mueller, Brazil; Tamara Mendis, Sri Lanka; and Singh.
"The ELCA ... is a leading sister church which has shared its wealth and its gifts of human resources. It has meant a lot," Singh said. She thanked the Women of the ELCA for ways it has served the international community.
After Women of the ELCA celebrated the 20th anniversary of the ordination of women in 1990, several women wrote letters to Lutheran churches in India to encourage them to ordain women, said Singh. In 1991, all 10 of the Lutheran churches in India decided, in principle, to ordain women, she said. Today there are 23 ordained women in the Indian Lutheran church, Singh said.
"I thank you, women of the ELCA, for making a difference in the lives of these women," she said.
Singh thanked Women of the ELCA for the organization's former "Woman to Woman" exchange program. Through this program, women from the ELCA went to many different parts of the world.
The ELCA women "became friends, confidants, prayer partners, ambassadors and transformers of the lives they had touched," Singh said.
She said that in a country where dollar bills proclaim, "In God We Trust," women must use money for just purposes.
"I plead with you ... see to it that your country never uses this witness on dollar bills to buy guns," she said. "Appease the thirst and hunger of children in this country and others."
"You and I are powerful women, called by God, redeemed by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us,"she said.
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
