ELCA Assembly Receives World Hunger Report

ORLANDO, Fla. (ELCA) - The 2005 Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) heard reports from
the World Hunger Appeal and Lutheran World Relief (LWR) during
its business session Aug. 13. These efforts are some of "the
strongest aspects of our shared ministry," said Carlos Pena, ELCA
vice president, because they "change lives throughout the world."
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott
and Convention Center. About 2,300 people are participating,
including 1,018 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial
assembly is "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."
Stories of individual lives battered by circumstances but
touched by Lutheran relief efforts were shared by Kathryn Sime,
director, ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal, and Kathryn
Wolford, president, Lutheran World Relief (LWR).
Sime spoke of Godfrey from Tanzania, one of the 35,000
orphans managing a child-headed household in Africa, a situation
often necessitated by the ravages of AIDS. Godfrey ran three
kilometers, determined to reach a visiting LWR delegation. He
gifted them with one of his household's two chickens.
"This child of God, a teenager with all the responsibilities
of an adult, was going to give us 50 percent of his tangible
household income... Now that's generosity," she said of his
expression of gratitude.
In Florida, the assembly's host state, "Domestic Disaster
Response responded quickly and effectively" when four hurricanes
struck in 2004, said Sime. "Even today, a year later, we continue
to walk with those impacted by the storms."
A video illustrated the aftermath of the terrible tsunami of
December 2005. In it, a teacher in India said, "After the tragedy
of the tsunami, I found there were many students in my class who
were terribly upset and going through psychological anguish. I
would do anything to help." She continued, "The Lutheran
church was offering a counseling seminar, and we were taught how
to counsel the children to overcome their distress and the
problems that they were going through. This has given me a new
purpose in life." Gifts for tsunami relief have now exceeded $10
million according to Sime, facilitating development of a five-
year response plan throughout the affected region.
The World Hunger and Disaster Appeal acts domestically and
internationally to assuage the "silent disaster of chronic hunger
and poverty," said Sime. It responds both to emergencies and to
the root causes of hunger, she said, and speaks "a prophetic
voice in the U.S. and around the world." In action earlier this
week, the assembly passed a memorial strengthening the church
body's commitment to ending world hunger, calling it "a core
conviction" of the ELCA.
Lutheran World Relief is supported in part by the ELCA World
Hunger Appeal. Working through partners and global relief and
development networks, LWR responds to emergencies and disasters
in 50 countries.
Kathryn Wolford, LWR president, told the assembly that LWR
provides "much needed help and hope not only in high profile
places," but "places far from the headlines." Referring to the
critical food crisis in the West African nation of Niger, Wolford
said, "The news media has just arrived, but you were there weeks
ago providing emergency assistance in the form of food, tools,
training" and more.
Wolford related the plea of a desperate woman in Colombia
who said, "In life we are invisible; in death we are a
statistic." Through LWR, "You demonstrate that her life counts -
that her life is precious to God," Wolford countered.
Bracelets woven by pre-teens, youth and women in Nicaragua
were distributed to the assembly as a reminder of the "life-
giving tapestry of help and hope" woven through the ELCA World
Hunger Appeal. "Thanks be to God for the privilege of being woven
together in this ministry," said Sime.
Nancy D. Arnison has been director of ELCA Hunger Program
since July. She was acknowledged by the assembly.
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Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/05 on the Web.

For more information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news