CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a five-point resolution on current tensions between the United States and Iraq. The resolution encouraged study, affirmed the public witness of ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, called for international consultation, advanced the work of Lutheran offices in Washington and at the United Nations, and invited prayer.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council met here Nov. 15-17. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 11-17, 2003, in Milwaukee.
"To foster moral deliberation about war with Iraq and deepen our understanding of peacemaking, the principles of 'just/unjust war' and alternatives to war," the council recommended study in all sectors of the church, using a social statement the ELCA adopted in 1995 called "For Peace in God's World," materials the ELCA Division for Church in Society produced in 1999 called "Talking Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues," and similar materials other Christian churches have developed.
The council affirmed "the public witness of Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson in support of peace." Hanson advanced peaceful means of resolving conflict in two September visits to the White House related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and war in the Middle East.
Hanson joined dozens of Christian leaders in sending a letter Sept. 12 to President George W. Bush, opposing a "pre-emptive use of military force" against Iraq. In an Aug. 30 statement, Hanson said it would be wrong for the United States to seek to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein of Iraq with military action.
"As the ELCA develops its ongoing response to the crisis concerning Iraq," the council asked the Office of the Presiding Bishop "to continue to consult with its international partners, particularly through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches (WCC)." The ELCA is a member of both organizations.
The LWF is a global communion of 136 Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition in 76 countries representing more than 61.7 million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The WCC represents 400 million Christians in more than 340 churches, denominations and fellowships in 120 countries and territories throughout the world. Both organizations are based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The council encouraged Lutherans "to exercise their vocation as citizens in advocacy for peace" and supported the work of the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA) and the Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) to advocate "for peace and humanitarian efforts related to Iraq."
LOGA is the ELCA's federal public policy advocacy office in Washington, D.C. LOWC represents the ELCA at the United Nations. Both are programs of the ELCA Division for Church in Society. LOWC is also a program of the LWF.
Finally, the council invited the prayers of all Lutherans "for peace, the work of the United Nations weapons inspectors, the people of Iraq, leaders of the United States, and members of the armed forces and their families."
"If Jesus stands for anything, Jesus stands for peace," Dr. Addie J. Butler, vice president of the ELCA, Philadelphia, said after the meeting. "It really goes to the core of who we are as Christian people, not who we are as Lutheran people, not who we are as ELCA Lutherans, but who we are as Christian people," she said.
Butler admitted that peaceful methods are not the only way to address an issue and that Jesus portrayed more than the peace of God.
"If people of faith don't stand for peace and push for peaceful processes for resolving various kinds of conflict, then who will?" Butler asked. "We need to have some voices -- loud voices, numerous voices -- standing for peace," she said. -- -- --
"For Peace in God's World" is available at http://www.elca.org/DCS/peacein.pf.html and "Talking Together as Christians about Tough Social Issues" is at http://www.elca.org/DCS/talkingtogether.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
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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.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
