BALTIMORE (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) honored Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr., president of Baltimore-based Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), at a Jan. 9 reception at the Lutheran Center here.
The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the ELCA's 65 synodical bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. They met here Jan. 7-11 for their annual continuing education conference.
Ralston H. "Ralie" Deffenbaugh, a human rights lawyer, has worked with Lutheran organizations concerned with international affairs since 1981, and has headed Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) since 1991.
LIRS is a cooperative agency of the ELCA, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was established by Lutheran churches in the United States to carry out the churches' ministry with immigrants and refugees.
On behalf of the conference, the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod and member of the LIRS board, presented Deffenbaugh with a framed citation recognizing 20 years of service in international affairs. The citation noted Deffenbaugh's work in "welcoming the stranger" and for his leadership in the ELCA "in protecting, serving and advocating for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants."
"To be lifted up by the leaders of my church is an extraordinary honor for me," said Deffenbaugh. "I feel so blessed to have been able successfully to combine my work and my faith over the past twenty years. It is truly a privilege to welcome the stranger. I receive much more than I give."
Before he became president of LIRS, Deffenbaugh was director of the Lutheran Office for World Community, New York, which represents the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to the United Nations and does international affairs advocacy for the ELCA. LWF, a global communion of 131 Lutheran churches in 72 countries, is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1989-90, during Namibia's transition to independence, he acted as legal advisor to the Lutheran bishops and the Council of Churches in Namibia. Deffenbaugh also served as a consultant to the committee that drafted Namibia's constitution.
LIRS more than doubled its annual budget from $8.7 million in 1991 to $21 million in 2000, and increased its staff 50 percent under his leadership. In 1999, Deffenbaugh led the move of LIRS headquarters from New York to a new six-story building in Baltimore.
Deffenbaugh serves as the first chair of the newly formed Refugee Council USA, the coalition of American voluntary organizations working in the field of refugee protection and service. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
[*Susan Baukhages is director for communication for Lutheran Immigration
and Refugee Service.]
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
