CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The men's organization and women's organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received grants from Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL), a fraternal benefits organization based in Appleton, Wis.
Lutheran Men in Mission, the men's organization of the ELCA, received a $40,000 grant to help 1,000 men develop effective men's ministries in more than 300 ELCA congregations.
The goal of Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) is to build men's faith, relationships and ministries through men's gatherings, resources produced by the organization and "coast-to-coast" leadership development, said Douglas Haugen, director for LMM.
The men's organization also works to achieve its goal by working with men in congregations and synods of the ELCA through Bible studies and men's ministry guidebooks.
The 1999 Lutheran Men's Gathering will take place Aug. 13-15 at the Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, Colo. Under the theme "Building Legacy," about 1,000 men will worship, participate in workshops and hear keynote presentations.
Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the women's organization of the church, received a $50,000 grant from AAL for the design and implementation of an anti-racism strategy and program.
"Women of the ELCA realizes that the goal to become an anti-racist organization places us in a critical position. We are on the edge of a frontier," said Catherine I.H. Braasch, executive director for Women of the ELCA. "With AAL's help, Women of the ELCA can continue to learn both the struggle and the fruit of living God's gospel as an anti-racist organization, which is what we hope to become."
Delegates at the 1999 Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention held July 7-12 in St. Louis, passed resolutions asking Women of the ELCA to "place priority in its emphasis and in its budget on anti-racism training, education and awareness," to work to dismantle "its own systemic and institutional contributions to the perpetuation of racist practices," and to help Lutheran women become "anti-racists in their own lives."
The convention told the organization to "claim an anti-racist identity" and asked its executive board to consider proposing a constitutional amendment "to include anti-racism as a principle of the organization." The board has already determined the organization's anti-racism effort will be a priority through 2002.
Aid Association for Lutherans supports the work of Lutheran churches, educational institutions and organizations. Each year the AAL Network Grant Program provides funds to a group of Lutheran-affiliated organizations that have similar yet broad-based missions.
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
