INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- There is hope for rural ministry, said members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), but congregations must share ideas and educate others about the rural crisis. ELCA participants in the 2001 Churchwide Assembly discussed rural ministry in a hearing Aug. 9.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center. There are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: Sharing Faith in a New Century."
"We're seeing a way of life being lost before our eyes," said Sandra LaBlanc, director for rural networking and resources, ELCA Division for Outreach.
Each day in the U.S., five family farmers or ranchers leave their occupation, LaBlanc said. She works from a Des Moines, Iowa, office and is the only ELCA staff person on the rural desk. LaBlanc said she gets from 200 to 500 e-mails each day from rural Americans voicing their concerns.
Participants at the hearing shared ideas and asked questions about the crisis in rural America. The Rev. Leland Eilert, of the ELCA's Southern Ohio Synod, encouraged the ELCA to add another staff person to the rural desk.
"Just as it is important for us to be in the city for good," he said, referring to an ELCA program to strengthen inner-city congregations, "it is equally important for us to maintain our roots in the land."
Others had advice for synods and congregations. The Rev. Sandra Larson of the ELCA Eastern North Dakota Synod, said that synod has created an endowment that helps congregations pay seminary interns who serve in eastern North Dakota, and pastors who lead congregations there.
LaBlanc said there are practical things Lutherans can do to help farm families in crisis. ELCA members can pray for farmers, buy local produce, advocate for agricultural policies and stay informed on rural issues. Each person at the hearing received a green ribbon to wear in support of farm families.
The Rev. David Poling-Goldenne, director for education and evangelism, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries, highlighted 26 rural congregations that are success stories in a recent book "Discovering Hope," which he co-authored.
"The good news is that there is vitality in the rural church," Poling-Goldenne said to participants in the assembly. -- -- --
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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.
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