ELCA Board Makes Recommendations in Light of Sept. 11 Attacks

TECHNY, Ill. (ELCA) -- The board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Global Mission (DGM) discussed and made recommendations on the church's response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, international perspectives on the tragedy, and the U.S.- Afghanistan conflict. The board met Oct. 18-20 at Divine Word International here. "Every day 5,500 people in Africa die of AIDS-related diseases," the Rev. Bonnie L. Jensen, DGM executive director, told the board in her report. "That's the equivalent of one World Trade Center a day." Lita Brusick Johnson, director for the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeals, asked for the board's help in emphasizing world hunger, as well as domestic needs, after Sept. 11. "On the income side, we are worried," she said. "Frankly, we've never faced a situation like this. After Sept. 11, individual giving does seem to be down." Board members expressed their concern for meeting increased needs for domestic relief after Sept. 11 without shortchanging global needs. "Before Sept. 11, I remember, the Vieques movement was very strong, but after Sept. 11 it is very difficult to speak against our country on this subject," said board member Carmelo Santos, Los Angeles. "It's hard to know how to express some of these things without seeming unpatriotic," said Carol LaHurd, Hickory, N.C., board member. "My view of things is that there is a gap between the prayers of our hearts and the feelings of some of the people in the pews," said the Rev. Gary L. Hansen, bishop of the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod, Lansing. "Yes, there is a chasm," acknowledged the Rev. Natanael F. Lizarazo, West Nidaros Lutheran Church, Crooks, S.D., board member. "We need prophetic leadership that acknowledges the pain and anger but moves us in a new way."

International perspectives on Sept. 11
International church leaders invited as special guests to the
board meeting
shared perspectives from churches in South Africa and Peru.
As a pastor and anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, the Rev.
Ndanganeni Phaswana knew the horrors of violence firsthand. He was
handcuffed, tortured and imprisoned by South African police for six
months in 1982 for a crime he did not commit. Even with his personal
experience with violence, Phaswana said he was horrified by the Sept. 11
attacks on the United States.
Phaswana, now the bishop of the Central Diocese of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, shared his church's condolences with
the ELCA after Sept. 11.
"We were extremely horrified," Phaswana said. "My own anger
horrified me, because if an African bishop, deep-down, has that feeling
of revenge, how much more must Americans feel?"
"We love America and pray for it, but we also pray that it would
come to a recognition that two wrongs don't make a right," he said.
"What we tried to do as South Africans, after our own anger and pain,
was to find meaning and ask, 'What can we learn from this tragedy?'"
Phaswana advised ELCA members to face that difficult question. "Do
not externalize your life. Don't create more hatred against America," he
said.
"This is a call for America to say, 'Let's sit down and review our
foreign policy. Let's sit down with the poor. Let's learn to listen.
Let's not support political leaders, but the people themselves. Let's
not repeat our same mistakes,'" said Phaswana
The Rev. Patricia Cuyatti, president of the Iglesia Lutherana
Evangelica Peruana, also addressed the Sept. 11 attacks, sharing the
condolences and the advice of the Peruvian church.
"The Peruvian reality has a long history of violence caused by
terrorism," she said. "We've expressed our solidarity with the United
States and people who continue to suffer from terrorism throughout the
world."
"I know you're living through changes as far as security," Cuyatti
said. "What we've learned as a country that has lived through many years
of violence is that you can't counter violence with violence."
"Is war acceptable? No, because war generates death, [as does] any
other kind of situation, like economic policies," Cuyatti said.
"We know that where injustice, poverty and hunger are high, there
are always going to be people looking for change," Cuyatti said. "The
world that is at a disadvantage is crying out. The process of
globalization is affecting more and more people [negatively], and these
policies need to be reviewed."

Board sends recommendations to ELCA Church Council
In response to the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath, the board
passed a
resolution that acknowledged "the devastating ripple effect" from the
United States to Afghanistan, and asked the ELCA Church Council to
encourage congregations and individuals to:
+ affirm the church's outreach to Sept. 11 victims through the ELCA
Domestic Disaster Response;
+ reflect on Sept. 11 and its aftermath "in light of the root causes of
poverty and violence in the world;"
+ seek counsel from companion churches worldwide;
+ work to prevent anti-Muslim harassment or attacks; and
+ increase support for the World Hunger Appeal and Stand With Africa,
"mindful of the increased global needs as a result of Sept. 11."
The board also asked the ELCA Church Council to instruct
churchwide units to "prepare or enhance the availability of user-
friendly congregational resources" on Islam, Christian-Muslim dialogue,
the Palestine-Israel conflict, and peace.
Finally, the board asked the ELCA Church Council to call upon
government agencies to intensify non-military measures to counter
terrorism; affirm the provision of humanitarian aid to displaced people
and refugees from Afghanistan; and call for increased U.S. foreign
assistance to address the root causes of hunger and violence.

Board encourages developing more companion synod relationships
The board reviewed a draft of the Division for Global Mission's
strategic priorities for 2002-2004. Twenty-one churches worldwide are
seeking mission relationships with the ELCA, reported division staff.
Showing a "map of human suffering," the Rev. Henry F. French,
former DGM director for studies and personnel education, asked the board
to look at proposed 2002-2004 strategic priorities, and begin looking at
how current relationships "line up with places where people are in the
most need."
"We need to, not unilaterally, but together with our partners,
look at what kind of strategic decisions we can make to assist with
this," French said.
"Certainly further companion synod relationships should be encouraged, particularly if we're going to follow this strategic plan," said Judy Wagner St. Pierre, Newport News, Va., board member. "I would like to see where Christians of other denominations are involved, and where we need not be involved," said Norris Hermsmeyer, Gettysburg, Pa., board member. "We do need to ask that question," French said. "Are we trying to re-invent the wheel? Could we strengthen what other denominations are doing? It's also a question of how much [impact] we can have." In his report to the board, the Rev. Will L. Herzfeld, DGM associate executive director, described the division's concept of global accompaniment as a family dinner where members pass food to each other. "'Accompany' comes from the Latin 'a cum pane,' which means 'with bread.' So 'Pass the bread, please,' is the theological symbol for accompaniment," he said. Responding to the report Santos said, "We need to also consider if accompaniment implies that at some point the companion should be left alone." "I think we need from [the division] clear guidelines on companion synod relationships, so that we all have the same structure," said board member Christine Mummert, Harrisburg, Pa., citing problems in some synods with uneven relationships and dependency. "We also need to talk honestly about what's being done by congregations a