Lutherans Work to Eradicate Hunger in the World

DECORAH, Iowa (ELCA) -- About 180 Lutherans committed to making the eradication of hunger a major priority in the United States and around the world met here June 28-July 1 for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) World Hunger Synod Leadership Gathering at Luther College, one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.
The meeting brought together leaders from 50 of the ELCA's 65 synods. Involved in the church's efforts to end hunger, synod hunger coordinators and others provided ideas about ways to educate the ELCA's 11,000 congregations about hunger, shared information on how to increase funds for the church's World Hunger Appeal, and reflected on "Stand With Africa" -- a three-year Lutheran campaign that focuses on overcoming HIV/AIDS, banishing hunger and building peace in Africa.
"Hunger and poverty will be easy to eradicate if people learn to share," said the Right Rev. Ambrose Moyo, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe and president of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.
In a keynote presentation, Moyo told participants that some of the greatest challenges facing Zimbabwe today are AIDS, poverty and violence.
"In 1990, the country began to experience a severe deterioration of resources. External debt has crippled the country, but internal debt is even more severe. About $2 billion is owed by the country," he said.
Zimbabwe was not included in Jubilee 2000 -- a worldwide movement to cancel huge international debts held by impoverished countries -- "because it has only become financially troubled in the last several years." Moyo said.
"We are calling, 'come here and help us.' Let us stand together in [Zimbabwe's] quest for peace," Moyo told participants.
The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, said hunger is a spiritual problem for the church.
"We are in spiritual danger if we continue to live [in a middle- class lifestyle] and accept it. If God loves the poor like it is said in the Bible, then we must take our greed seriously," he said.
"We must move beyond a charity mentality to one of advocacy and education to understand why there is hunger. How can we get the church to see life from the perspective of those living on much less than we do?" Anderson asked participants.
"We are saved by grace. Institutions are not saved by grace, they are saved by mission. The church must supply what God demands; if not, God will find another church," Anderson said.
Congressman James A. Leach (R-Iowa) greeted participants. Leach introduced a "Hunger to Harvest Resolution: A Decade of Concern for Africa" to the U.S. Congress on April 4. The resolution calls for a sustained commitment by the United States to reduce hunger and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and asks that the commitment be demonstrated by a substantial increase in poverty-focused development assistance to Africa.
In addition to hearing keynote presentations, the gathering was also a time for forming strategies on fund raising. Lita Brusick Johnson, director of ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeals, led a presentation on how congregations and individual members of the church can work to support the appeal.
"The goal of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and Program is to end chronic hunger in God's world," said Johnson. "There is enough to go around. It doesn't take more than what we already have. The task of ending hunger in God's world lays claim to the resources of all sectors of society [our] money, our tax dollars and business profits," she said.
"The World Hunger Appeal is not about giving alms. It's about justice and people living in poverty," Johnson said.
A goal of the appeal is to raise $25 million a year by 2005. The appeal collected more than $15.86 million in 2000. Johnson said a major element in "growing" the appeal is to encourage non-participating congregations and individuals to commit to the appeal.
According to the Rev. David Beckman, an ELCA pastor and president of Bread for the World -- an ecumenical Christian citizens coalition to end hunger -- fewer people are hungry today than more than 25 years ago when the appeals by Lutheran church bodies began.
"Today, 3,000 people live rather than die," he said. "It is feasible in our time to see dramatic, positive changes to end hunger." Beckman said congregations can work to reduce hunger dramatically and government programs can help provide food. The church's efforts should be to provide pastoral care and help people to work and become self- sustaining, he said.
Workshops were offered on a variety of topics from the basics of the World Hunger Appeal to the Stand With Africa campaign. Participants attended "field trips" designed to explore rural Iowa and urban Wisconsin. The trips included visits to a farm that employs "Global Positioning Systems" (GPS), a technique that uses satellite monitoring to determine soil conditions and environmentally safe uses of land; a large dairy farm operation; a "seed-savers" farm designed to preserve native and heirloom seeds; and urban community gardens.
"We have hunger on our farms," said Sandra A. LaBlanc, Des Moines, Iowa. LaBlanc is an associate in ministry and the director for rural ministry resources and networks, ELCA Division for Outreach.
"About 800 million people are starving around the world. [Hunger] is about greed, [unequal] distribution of resources and [lack] of sharing," she said.
LaBlanc and Kathryn Wolford, president of Lutheran World Relief (LWR), led an evening discussion about rural life in the United States and overseas. LWR works overseas in relief and development on behalf of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
"About 80 percent of the work of LWR involves rural and semirural communities," Wolford said. "LWR works heavily in rural areas because there are fewer opportunities for people to access government subsidies," she said.
The gathering endorsed a June 25 letter to President Bush written by members of the ELCA, Bread for the World and others who gathered June 23-26 for a National Gathering on Africa in Washington, D.C. The letter urges President Bush to "work with Congress on an international partnership with Africa."
The World Hunger Program of the ELCA was established to address needs in areas of hunger and disaster. The ministry has four methods to accomplish this goal: to provide immediate relief for those who "suffer" from hunger and injustices related to hunger; to provide means for long- term sustainable developments for communities to alleviate hunger and poverty; to advocate for justice; and to educate ELCA members on issues of hunger, poverty and justice.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
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