ELCA Ethnic Ministries Are Active in Church and Society

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The steering committee of the Commission for Multicultural Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), at its meeting here Oct. 8-9, heard about the ministries of five ethnic communities in the life of the church and society. The ELCA's ethnic ministries are African American and Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific Islander and Hispanic.

AFRICAN AMERICAN AND BLACK MINISTRIES
The steering committee endorsed several objectives that emerged from "The Blood that Unites the Diaspora: A Consultation of Black Peoples" held June 4-7, 1998, at Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala. More than 300 Black Christians attended the consultation hosted by the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries, other churchwide units and local ecumenical groups.
The objectives recommended by the committee include helping the ELCA in its understanding of the "diaspora," the breaking up and scattering of people far from their ancestral homeland; establishing a "reliable census" on the growing number of Africans and other Black immigrants in the United States and the ELCA; assisting the church in becoming more sensitive to the needs and concerns of Africans and other Blacks in the diaspora; and helping to create a climate of advocacy relative to racism and immigration.
"The general purpose was to identify common concerns and needs within the global Black community, and to seek collaborative ways to redress those matters within the context of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," said the Rev. Eric T. Campbell, ELCA director for African American and Black ministries.
Campbell highlighted the African American and Black Lutheran Rostered Leadership Summit held here June 21-23. The summit brought together more than 150 Black leaders and clergy from across the country to discuss issues confronting the Black community. Campbell also provided information on the Seventh Biennial Convention of the African American Lutheran Association held here June 23-26.

AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE MINISTRIES
Marilyn Sorensen-Bush, ELCA director for American Indian and Alaska Native ministries, presented a paper June 21 to 35 members of the U.S. Congress on why the church is called to be in partnership with American Indian and Alaska Native people, and to be an advocate on sovereignty issues and other legislation affecting tribes.
"One needs to understand that American Indian and Alaska Native people have a unique relationship with the U.S. government," said Sorensen-Bush. "So much of the Indian life is governed by treaties with the U.S. government. The church's ministry is of advocacy and information."
"Christianity once had a message of dignity for all men and women. At what point can we, as Christians and as American Indian and Alaska Native people, demand that the political arena look at us as persons of dignity?" wrote Sorensen-Bush.
In the United States, there are 557 federally recognized tribes speaking more than 200 languages and dialects. The total population of those tribes nears two million, said Sorensen-Bush. There are 20 ELCA congregations and ministries among the American Indian and Alaska Native communities with fewer than 20 ordained pastors.
There are 30 tribal community colleges. "The colleges are critical to the survival of our people, in spite of the fact that the American Indian and Alaska Native people have the lowest rate of college attendance of any racial group in the country. Education is imperative for our people to survive, from kindergarten to college and beyond. We are asking for renewed and increased financial support and a reform in contextual material," Sorensen-Bush said.
Sorensen-Bush is a member of the ELCA's Advisory Committee for Rural Ministry, housed in the ELCA Division for Outreach.

ARAB AND MIDDLE EASTERN MINISTRIES
Grace El-Yateem, Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, New York, was introduced to the steering committee as the newly-elected president of the ELCA Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH). El-Yateem was elected by the third biennial assembly=20 July 9-11, 1999, at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church. More than 75 people=20 attended the assembly.
"My personal goals for the association are to reach out to as many Arab and Middle Eastern Lutherans living in America as possible, and inform them of ALAMEH," El-Yateem told the steering committee. She plans to encourage Arab Lutherans to attend the 1999 Multicultural Mission Institute and "let our voice be heard."
El-Yateem plans to "uplift and encourage existing Arab ministries in every possible way. They need our prayers, our financial support and access to the resources available in the ELCA. ALAMEH should also serve as a link between Arab churches and the various divisions of the ELCA."
"The Arab and Middle Eastern Lutheran International Conference will be held in Jerusalem, Palestine, July 4-9, 2000," said the Rev. Bassam J. Abdallah, ELCA consultant on Arab and Middle Eastern ministries. The conference "will be the first to bring together Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage from both sides of the Atlantic," he said.
"Your New Neighbor," an ELCA resource about Arab and Middle Eastern people, will be available in March 2000. "The resource is about Arab and Middle Eastern people, the problems they face as they immigrate to the United States, and what ELCA congregations can do to be more hospitable," said Abdallah.
Another "desperately needed" resource is an Arabic hymnal and worship resource featuring traditional and contemporary hymns, Abdallah said. "We are working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan, using their resources for worship," he said.

ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER MINISTRIES
The Chinese Book of Worship is well underway, the Rev. Pongsak Limthongviratn, ELCA director for Asian and Pacific Islander ministries, told the steering committee. Lutheran liturgies have been translated from English to Chinese (Mandarin) by Mabel Wu, professor of liturgy and worship at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong.
Limthongviratn said the Chinese Book of Worship "will be used in all Chinese congregations and ministries."
A National Asian Strategic Plan, designed to guide the Asian and Pacific Islander ministry efforts of the church, will be available for consideration by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Indianapolis.
The plan's task force committee will meet in November to review a draft of the plan and forward it to Asian leaders and congregations of the church for their response.
A center for Chinese ministry will open next year, said Limthongviratn. "The center will provide continuing education programs for clergy and lay leaders. Participants will develop resource materials in Chinese for Asian congregations, study issues facing the Chinese community and develop recommendations for the ELCA's consideration. No one knows Chinese ministries better than Chinese people," he said.

HISPANIC MINISTRIES
The ELCA Hispanic Ministries desk and the Association of Hispanic Lutheran Ministries are developing a national strategic plan for consideration by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
The plan, designed to guide the ELCA's Latino ministry efforts, includes a component called "Latino Lutheran Identity."
The topic of "Latino Lutheran Identity" will be explored in two consultations, one in Chicago, October 1999, and the second in Los Angeles, January 2000.
"Hispanic Lutherans from around the country will discuss theology and the identity of Latinos in the ELCA, said the Rev. Maria del Rosario Valenzuela, ELCA director for Hispanic and leadership ministries.
Consultation participants will develop three models for ministry with and among Lutheran Latinos. "Models will<