CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Office of the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved grants totaling $900,000 for 10 domestic ministries. The projects, intended to provide direct assistance to people living in poverty, are part of the ELCA's emphasis on Ministries Among People in Poverty (MAPP).
The domestic projects stress strengthening families, fostering intercultural learning, equipping people in poverty to understand and deal with economic and political systems, outreach to youth and educating ELCA members on issues related to poverty and wealth, said the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive director, ELCA Division for Church in Society.
"In most instances, we are recommending projects extend over several years," Miller said. "An advantage of this approach is that progress can be ascertained before more funding is provided."
The MAPP funds were provided by the ELCA Church Council in 1999, when it designated $3 million in reserve funds for such projects. The Rev. H. George Anderson, ELCA presiding bishop, set up four work groups to administer the funds. The groups are aimed at funding international and domestic projects, canceling debts of some congregations and fostering relationships between ELCA members and people living in poverty.
The Office of the Bishop previously approved $619,000 for international MAPP projects.
The domestic projects and their funding levels are:
+ Rural Development Project ($100,000). These funds will be used for a variety of rural projects. Primary leadership for these projects will be provided by the ELCA Division for Outreach. Funds will be used for a program in Minnesota that helps impoverished family farmers move into a different way of life; a program in York, Pa., which is responding to a changed economy following a significant farm manufacturer's departure from the city; a sustainable food project in south-central Pennsylvania that highlights locally grown, healthful food produced by family farmers; an intergenerational ministry in Soap Lake, Wash., with diverse ethnic groups living in poverty; and support for a locally owned credit union in central Appalachia that serves low income families.
+ Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Fund ($100,000). Funds will be used to support technical consultants to assist in redeveloping existing community-based projects that address poverty. Funds will be used also to develop new organizations. Consultants will work with at least 20 projects in different locations in the next two years.
+ Faith-Based Community Organizing ($150,000). Funds will be used to promote greater congregational involvement in local communities. The proposal calls for a two-year contract staff position devoted to faith-based community organizing; working to teach seminarians and pastors about public ministry in their communities; and training people to deepen congregational involvement in their local communities.
+ Congregation-Based Immigration Centers ($175,000). Funds will be used to assist as many as eight ELCA congregations in their ministries to serve new immigrants to the United States.
+ Grass Roots Advocacy Training ($45,000). Four training workshops will be funded to teach people how to be effective with public policy issues directly affecting people living in poverty. At least 100 advocates will be taught how to address issues of hunger and poverty in a variety of settings.
+ Women and Children Living in Poverty ($60,000). As many as eight pilot projects will be initiated. These will be aimed at strengthening families living in poverty and expanding the horizons of synods, congregations and social ministry organizations in their ministry with people living in poverty.
+ The Simba Circle ($75,000). Funds will be used to support operating expenses for The Simba Circle, a Christ-centered leadership educational program aimed at African-American young men. Many of the young men live in at-risk situations and in poverty. The program is administered by the ELCA and is conducted in a two-week camp setting.
+ American Indian Community Center ($120,000). Funds will be provided in stages to enable Dacotah Oyate Lutheran Church, Tokio, N.D., to create and maintain a community development center. The center is intended to serve Spirit Lake Reservation in central North Dakota, an area in which people struggle to find employment and were deeply affected by the 1996 floods.
+ Domestic Poverty Capacity Building ($25,000). Funds will be used to study the ELCA process by which domestic hunger grants are used to fund various projects. The study is aimed at helping the church identify critical areas of need that may be left unfunded.
+ Leadership Development Among Women and Children Living in Poverty ($50,000). Funds will be used to enable adults and youth living in poverty to participate in developing policies that affect their lives. Regional workshops will be organized for which people living in poverty will receive financial support to attend.
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
