CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Multicultural strategies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have been implemented with the help of a multicultural initiatives coordinating team of the church. Members of the team met here May 18 to help the church meet its goal for full partnership and participation of African American, Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic Lutherans in the life of the church and society.
The multicultural initiatives coordinating team was developed in 1998 as a result of the ELCA's "Initiatives to Prepare for a New Century." The Initiatives -- pivotal areas of ministry for the ELCA in the new century -- are to Deepen Worship Life; Teach the Faith; Witness to God's Action in the World; Strengthen One Another in Mission; Help the Children; Connect with Youth and Young Adults; and Develop Leaders for the Next Century.
The Initiatives were adopted by the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Leadership teams were formed to provide support for the work of congregations, synods and churchwide organizations engaged in the Initiatives. Team leaders help provide an overall picture of how the church may be different as a result of the Initiatives.
In the last three years the multicultural initiatives coordinating team has developed partnerships with all Initiative leadership teams to "secure that they support the multicultural strategies of the church," said Evelyn B. Soto, chair of the multicultural initiatives coordinating team.
With only a little more than 2 percent of its members people of color or whose primary language is not English, the ELCA failed to reach its goal to widen church membership to consist of 10 percent people of color between 1987 and 1997. The 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly made a "renewed affirmation of and commitment to" the 10 percent membership growth goal and the Multicultural Mission Strategy adopted by the 1991 Churchwide Assembly.
Soto said the multicultural initiative coordinating team has not developed any projects of its own, but has consulted with each Initiative leadership team to review their proposals, resources, projects and events, "so that all ELCA congregations can utilize the resources and participate in Initiative activities."
Since July 1998, the multicultural initiatives coordinating team has:
+ assisted members of the "Deepen Our Worship Life" team with the development of a proposal for the translation of selected liturgies in the Lutheran Book of Worship and With One Voice -- two worship resources widely used in the ELCA. Liturgies are being translated from English to Chinese (Mandarin);
+ helped members of the "Teach the Faith" team to make "Living Faith: An ELCA Call to Discipleship" available in Spanish -- "Viviendo la fe: Llamando al discipulado en toda la IELA." Call to Discipleship is an invitation for all ELCA congregations to commit to a yearlong focus on discipleship from September 2000 to August 2001. "Lutheran Basics" and "Doing Faith," resources that are part of the Call to Discipleship, are also available in Spanish -- "Los Fundamentos Luteranos" and "Viviendo en la fe: Formacion del Cristiano;" +supported members of the "Witness to God's Action in the World" team to develop resources in Spanish in the area of moral deliberation -- helping members of the ELCA talk together about difficult social issues;
+ assisted members of the "Strengthen One Another in Mission" team with the development of the Spanish-text version of "Sharing Faith" -- "Compartiendo La Fe," a Web site designed to welcome people outside the ELCA who are seeking information on issues related to religion and faith;
+ helped members of the "Help the Children" team to translate "Safe Haven for Children" -- a resource that guides congregations as they explore ways to make or renew their commitment to be safe havens for children -- from English to Spanish;
+ assisted members of the "Connect with Youth and Young Adults" team with the development of "Soulfuel" -- an ELCA Web site dedicated to providing faith resources for 18- to 32-year-olds; and
+ helped members of the "Develop Leaders for the Next Century" team to identify new leadership for the church.
Members of the multicultural initiatives coordinating team are the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod, New York; Rosemary Dyson, director for multicultural education, ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries; the Rev. Nelson Rivera-Garcia, professor, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; Susan Niemi, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the publishing house of the ELCA, Minneapolis; the Rev. Theodore W. Schroeder, director for congregational resource development, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries; and Soto.
"The diversity of team members has offered an inclusive approach to our process as we have worked toward the development of resources and programs that will enhance and strengthen ethnic and language-specific ministries of the ELCA," said Soto.
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
