ELCA Assembly Reminded by Keynote Speaker to Pay Attention to Women

CHICAGO (ELCA) - Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, general secretary of
the World Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA),brought the
keynote address to the 2007 Churchwide Assembly. Celebrating in
the midst of challenge, using our knowledge to be prophetic and
committing to change, were among her themes.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall.
About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,071 ELCA voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in God's
Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
"For the last 20 years, my ministry has been with women. I
often say I am licensed to speak for women," Kanyoro said. Prior
to assuming her position at the World YWCA in 1998, Kanyoro was
the executive secretary for Women in the Church and Society of
the Lutheran World Federation, Geneva. A native of Kenya and
linguist by training, Kanyoro received the Luther Institute's
2000 Wittenberg Award for her service to church and society
around the world.
In Africa a gathering such as the 2007 Churchwide Assembly
would be "full of dancing in the aisles," observed Kanyoro. "To
be joyful in spite of and despite everything around us is a sign
of acknowledging the grace of God that is present with us all of
the time."
"I remember many years that we stood outside and knocked on
our [church doors] so that we would be present and included in
the ordained ministries of our churches," Kanyoro noted of
women's experience in the church. "I know that the saints both
living and dead who took the risk and brought the changes we
celebrate today now ask more of us. They ask us to listen even
more attentively to who is asking to be included."
Christians are "connected through creation and this image of
God that we all carry," she said. Kanyoro cited diverse areas of
life where this image is seen, such as "in the princess and the
prostitute" and in poor countries and among the affluent.
Christians have knowledge of our ties to one another, but "our
problem seems rather in the choices that we make with our
knowledge," she said. Barriers of history and culture can keep us
from using our knowledge prophetically, but "our God does not
permit us to make peace with oppression, either our own or the
oppression of others," she asserted.
Kanyoro used the word "advocate" to highlight a response to
what we know about the lives of women. "This is not for women
themselves. What happens is for total societies," she said. In
her anagram, "a" is for "assessing" the situation for women and
girls; "d" is for "detailing" the challenges women experience;
"v" is for "vocalizing" the real stories of women "without shame
and without apology;" "o" is for "opposing bad, ill-conceived
policies or problems that do not bring community solutions;" "c"
is for "collaborating" on positive solutions; "a" is for
"advancing" equality for women; "t" is for "talking" with elected
leaders about programs and budgeting; and "e" is for "engaging"
the public about issues of justice for women.
The World YWCA convened the 2007 International Women's Summit
on Women and HIV and AIDS that resulted in a "Pledge to Commitment"
which Kanyoro highlighted as exemplar of making a commitment to
justice for women. The assembly read aloud the pledge detailing
action steps to be taken in an individual life, home, workplace, friendships and country.
There are many challenges to women in today's world: sexual
abuse, poverty and the AIDS pandemic were among examples Kanyoro
cited. "Trafficking in girls and women has become a lucrative
trade comparable to trade in drugs," she noted. "Paying attention
to women is still a justice [issue] . . . Thanks be to God that
the ELCA continues to value justice for women."
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be
found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.

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