CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received and "applauded" a report on the church's rural ministry and acted to encourage members of the ELCA to strengthen their commitment to the ministry.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide assemblies. The council met here Nov. 10-13. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2001, in Indianapolis.
"Many rural people live with an understanding of an Old Testament God, a God of law, sacrifices and vengeance. But, we bring a God of grace, redemption and hope, which is the vision of the ELCA rural ministry desk," Sandra LaBlanc, Des Moines, Iowa, told the council. LaBlanc is an associate in ministry and director for rural ministry resources and networks, ELCA Division for Outreach. The 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly resolved to establish the rural and small-town ministries "desk."
In her report to the board, LaBlanc said there are four primary areas of rural ministry. They are education, spirituality, resource development and advocacy.
Advocacy efforts fall into three key areas: the need for public policy that alleviates difficulty from "abnormal" price fluctuations; concerns regarding biogenetic engineering and food production; and the legal, moral and philosophical questions surrounding the concentration of food production under a few multi-national corporations, LaBlanc said.
These advocacy efforts were determined by ELCA's rural ministry advisory committee and the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA), she said. LOGA is the ELCA's federal public policy advocacy office in Washington, D.C.
Through rural ministry, members of the ELCA participated in and helped sponsor "Rally for Rural America" in Washington, D.C., last March; met with leaders of three U.S. farm organizations at the ELCA's Lutheran Center here Sept. 27 to discuss how the church may help to improve the future of rural America and farming; and addressed rural issues among clergy, laity, and the ELCA's eight seminaries and 65 synods.
The council acknowledged the need to continue providing support for the ELCA rural ministry.
Documents from the Church Council meeting are available at http://www.elca.org/os/churchcouncil/actions.html on the ELCA Web site.
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
