CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The steering committee of the Commission for Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) developed a resolution here Oct. 12-14 to express its support for the church's "Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence" by calling for a response to terrorism that seeks "justice through legal, diplomatic and other nonviolent means so as to enhance human security and prevent further loss of life."
"We worked on a resolution to respond in a nonviolent way to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and to disseminate that message in the church and in society," said James Lynch, steering committee's vice chair, who is a student at the Yale School of Management, New Haven, Conn.
In 1999 the ELCA declared its cooperation with the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World" (2001-2010) of the United Nations and the "Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace" of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
The Commission for Women adopted the ELCA's Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence as a way to focus its work in the areas of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual misconduct.
"We are working on our strategic vision, and we felt a strong need to hear some of the stories of women in this country of Arab descent and the hate crimes they've experienced," said Lynch. "Fundamentally and theologically we believe that retribution belongs to God," he said.
The commission is in a position to offer the church advice on how to develop a just response to acts of terrorism and acts of violence against people because of their gender, ethnicity or religion, said Lynch.
The resolution recalled the events of Sept. 11. "Still in recovery from such a shock we in the Commission for Women, with a small but firm voice, offer counsel and support to our church as it seeks to bring healing and peace," it said.
"The reliance on violence to counter violence provokes a spiral of retaliatory violence that results in greater numbers of people who die, greater damage to societies and economies worldwide -- especially to the poor -- and greater damage to the earth for decades to come," said the resolution.
The commission resolved to "pray for the health, strength and hope of people everywhere who are suffering in the aftermath of September 11."
It called on everyone "to assist this church in its condemnation of all forms of hatred and violence directed towards people of Middle Eastern descent, persons of Arab heritage, and individuals and groups whose faith differs from our own, particularly Muslims, in this national climate of fear following the tragic events of September 11."
The resolution noted the United States is receiving "urgent pleas for peaceful solutions" from a variety of sources, including the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and WCC. The ELCA is a member of both the LWF and WCC.
In keeping with the Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence, the commission asked everyone to help Lutherans "think, feel, and act nonviolently in all spheres of life." It resolved to "lift up, strengthen, expand and honor the nonviolent witness of those who serve in conflicted areas at home and abroad."
In other business, the steering committee decided to encourage all ELCA divisions to take a fresh look at the church's resources on the ordination of women and leadership for women in the church, especially theological resources.
"Many people in our church need a language again to articulate why we ordain women, why women are encouraged to be in leadership positions in this church," said Lynch. "That can be an evangelism tool in our outreach to new people," he added.
The steering committee elected the Rev. Janet M. Corpus, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, to a second two-year term as chair. Lynch was elected vice chair and chaired the meeting in Corpus' absence. The Rev. Paula Maeder Connor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Ohio, was elected secretary. -- -- --
Resources for the ELCA's Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence are linked to http://www.elca.org/co/decade.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
- - -
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
