CHICAGO (ELCA) -- More than 20 Spanish-speaking staff and leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) churchwide organization met here Oct. 5 to discuss how best the church can continue its effort to put an end to U.S. military training on Vieques, an island eight miles east of Puerto Rico.
"The church's Latino community stands together in its struggle for promoting justice and peace for the people of Vieques," said the Rev. Gregory J. Villalon, director for ethnic leadership development, ELCA Division for Ministry.
"We are a 'community of communities' that stands together on issues of justice," Villalon said. "The community is made up of people of a variety of cultures that use Spanish as their primary language, who were born or trace their heritage to Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean."
"The suffering of people on Vieques continues, and it should not be forgotten," he said.
The purpose of the meeting was to determine ways the Latino community and the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, and the Rev. Francisco L. Sosa, bishop of the ELCA Caribbean Synod, Dorado, Puerto Rico, can work together to end U.S. military training on Vieques, said Villalon.
As a result of the meeting, the group will organize a letter- writing campaign designed for members of the church to encourage Congress to terminate all military training and activities on Vieques. The group will work with the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA), the ELCA's federal public policy advocacy office in Washington, D.C., to organize the campaign.
Selected members of the group will develop resources designed to offer congregations other methods for action and advocacy, and will prepare a litany to guide congregations in prayer for the people of Vieques. The litany and resources will be made available to the 10,851 congregations and 65 synods of the ELCA in spring 2001. A letter from Anderson, who plans to visit Vieques March 22-23, will accompany the materials.
"The group will also work to organize a meeting among the ELCA's various ecumenical partners to address the issue of peace for Vieques," said Evelyn B. Soto, director for multicultural and culture-specific resources, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries. Soto said such a meeting will help to unify and strengthen the efforts of various faith groups working for peace in Vieques.
"We must continue to remain united as a church and stand with our brothers and sisters on Vieques, who have endured more than 60 years of living in war-like conditions. U.S. military personnel use the land as a bombing target," said Sosa.
"Residents of Vieques are contaminated by chemicals released from bombs. About 40 percent of the island residents are contaminated with chemicals, as well as the environment," Sosa said.
"It is important for the church to keep the situation in Vieques alive in our members' minds and in the public eye because, like many other important issues, it gets submerged in the daily flow of news," Anderson said in an interview.
"This is an ongoing crisis for people who are living in circumstances that are dangerous to their health. It is our church's policy to ask that the island be returned to the people of Puerto Rico. We need to continue action in terms of informing our people of the need for congressional decision on this matter and to work with Congress to help them understand the importance of taking this step," he said.
The 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted a resolution that called on the U.S. government "to seek reasonable solutions" that will end all U.S. military operations on Vieques. The assembly resolution also asked that the land be returned to the people of the island "while not compromising our nation's security." It asked the ELCA Division for Church in Society, through LOGA, to "encourage the U.S. government to seek reasonable solutions."
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
