ELCA Presiding Bishop Marks 10th Anniversary of Peace Statement

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) adopted the social statement, "For Peace in God's World,"
Aug. 20, 1995, at its Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis.
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of that decision, the Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, issued a letter
Sept. 21.
"The International Day of Peace on September 21 offers a
fitting opportunity to renew our commitment to pray and work for
peace in these troubled times," Hanson wrote. He cited the
statement's focus on international peace, basing Christian
efforts for earthly peace on "the peace of God's eternal reign."
"This church has actively participated in the Decade to
Overcome Violence initiative of the World Council of Churches,"
the bishop wrote. At the request of 23 Nobel Peace Laureates,
"the United Nations designated the period 2001-2010 as the Decade
for a Culture of Nonviolence and Peace for the Children of the
World."
Hanson called attention to the work of an ELCA task force
developing and helping to implement goals and ELCA activities
during the Decade, especially the development of an Equipping for
Peacemaking Network.
"With the generous support of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans, the task force sponsored a training event to equip
trainers for peacemaking. More than 40 members of ELCA
congregations from all nine regions of the church were selected
from a pool of 300 applicants," Hanson wrote.
"The goals of the event were: nurturing and strengthening
peacemakers in their ability to share skills, insights and
stories about peacemaking and nonviolence; fostering and
supporting an appropriate spirituality for such efforts; and
equipping ELCA members to examine their own lifestyles and their
congregation's practices to better contribute to justice and
nonviolence," he wrote.
"The leaders who attended the training event continue to
replicate their experiences holding similar events," Hanson
wrote. "I encourage you and members of your congregation to join
the Network."
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The text of ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson's letter is
at http://www.ELCA.org/bishop/m_050921.html on the Internet.
The social statement, "For Peace in God's World," is at
http://www.ELCA.org/socialstatements/peace/ on the ELCA Web site.
Information about the ELCA's Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence
is at http://www.ELCA.org/nonviolence/ and about the Decade to
Overcome Violence initiative of the World Council of Churches is
at http://www.overcomingviolence.org on the Web.

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