INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Leaders from Lutheran social ministry groups and national farm organizations gathered earlier this year for a first-ever rural summit to discuss the state of U.S. agriculture. Sandra LaBlanc, ELCA director for rural ministry resources and networking, reported on the summit in a rural ministry update at the 2001 ELCA churchwide assembly.
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."
More than 60 people gathered for the summit to share "thoughts, concerns and ideas," said LaBlanc. The summit was held in March at the Lutheran Center in Chicago. Presidents of the three major farm organizations attended, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Park Ridge, Ill.; the National Farmers Organization, Ames, Iowa; and the National Farmers Union, Denver, Colo. The presidents have more in common than agriculture expertise. "All three presidents of the major farm organizations are ELCA members. What are the odds?" LaBlanc said.
Summit participants included traditional farm organizations, "minority" farm groups, Catholic charity organizations, women's groups and rural specialists, LaBlanc said. "People from diverse backgrounds listened within the context of the church," she said.
In rural communities, the church is often the place for conversation on social issues, said LaBlanc. "This is a concrete example of the church as a place for moral deliberation," she said.
While leaders debated agricultural issues, rural task force groups from several of the ELCA's 65 synods spent the day in the Lutheran Center chapel, praying for the summit and its participants.
LaBlanc said summit participants didn't come to any formal agreements, but the dialogue will continue.
At a September 2000 meeting, the three presidents of the national farm organizations agreed on eight key issues of rural ministry. Those include topics such as insuring a safe food supply, providing financial resources for rural communities and emphasizing conservation.
LaBlanc said the ELCA is a national leader in rural life issues and is doing advocacy on the federal government's 2002 farm bill. -- -- --
Information about assembly action is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded updates during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.
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.
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