ELCA assembly acted on Israel and Palestine proposals and more

PITTSBURGH (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) is committed to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict
between Israel and Palestine and took measures to ensure that commitment
Aug. 17 during the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly here.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, met here Aug. 12-17 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The
theme for the assembly was “Always being made new.” This year marks the
25th anniversary of this church.
Voting members considered a series of proposals -- known as
memorials from the ELCA’s 65 synods -- throughout the week. With an 812
to 45 vote, voting members approved a memorial designed to continue this
church’s awareness-building, accompaniment and advocacy on behalf of
peaceful resolutions in the Middle East.
The action commits this church to learning more about the
experiences of both Palestinians and Israelis and their mutual fears,
aspirations and hopes; work to convey the concerns and perspectives of
Israelis and Palestinians that dispel stereotypes and caricatures and
promote better understanding; lift up the voices within both communities,
especially those of victims of violence, that seek peace with justice
through nonviolent responses to the conflict; continue to help alleviate
the humanitarian needs; support U.S. funding that promotes peace and
cooperation for all parties; and to continue to pray for brothers and
sisters in the Middle East and for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Jordan and the Holy Land.
The action also calls for evaluating possibilities for investing in
specific Palestinian economic endeavors and other projects that would
promote peace and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians; and to
provide a report with recommendations to the April 2014 meeting of the
ELCA Church Council.
During the week, voting members received greetings from the Rev.
Munib A. Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation and bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land; Rabbi Steve
Gutow, president and CEO, Jewish Council for Public Affairs; and Dr.
Tarunjit Singh Butalia, former secretary General, World Sikh Council -
American Region.
Prior to the churchwide assembly, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S.
Hanson joined 29 other Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders in a letter
to Secretary of State John Kerry welcoming his “announcement on July 19
that agreement has been reached 'that establishes the basis for resuming
direct final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the
Israelis.'“ The leaders said they “are committed to mobilizing broad
public support for active, fair and firm U.S. leadership for peace,”
offered their prayers for his efforts and said they are prepared “to
activate members of synagogues, churches and mosques across the country
to support bold American leadership.
Other memorial topics considered at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly include:

+ Addressing community violence. With a 834 to 41 vote, the assembly
moved to encourage ELCA members, consistent with their bound consciences,
to contact their elected officials and advocate for passage of
legislation that promotes universal background checks, prevents gun
trafficking and requires the reporting of lost or stolen guns to law
enforcement so that violence in our communities might decrease. In its
action, voting members also moved to lift up the ELCA social messages on
suicide prevention, community violence, and mental health and to call
upon congregations and synods to engage their members on ways to prevent
suicide.

+ Comprehensive immigration reform. The assembly approved with an 828 to
40 vote to advocate for the adoption of comprehensive immigration reform
legislation that supports an earned pathway to lawful permanent residency
and eventual citizenship; ensure humane and just enforcement of U.S.
immigration laws; protect families from separation; provide resources and
protections to integrate of refugees and others; and to ensure the
protection of U.S. citizen and migrant workers. The action included a
call to ELCA rostered leaders to promote an understanding of welcome;
encourage congregations to engage in prayerful, reasoned discussion and
education about immigration; call on the ELCA presiding bishop to
continue communication with members of U.S. Congress on reform. In a
separate but related action, the assembly moved to declare Sunday, June
22, 2104 as “Refugee Sunday.”

+ Communion practices. With a 688 to 193 vote, the assembly requested a
process to review the ELCA’s guiding documents on communion practices and
to bring a report and possible recommendations to the April 2014 meeting
of the ELCA Church Council. Through its action, the assembly also invited
congregations, synods and the churchwide organization into conversation
and study on the Use of the Means of Grace.

+ Same-gender couples and their families. The assembly approved with an
825 to 68 vote to affirm this church’s commitment to ensuring pastoral
care for same-gender couples and their families -- a commitment outlined
in the ELCA social statement “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” The
commitment recognizes “familial relationship as central to nurturing and
sustaining trust and security in human relationships and to advocate for
public policies that support and protect families.” The action invites
and encourages conversation in this church on changing family
configurations and their impact on society and the ministry of this
church, and it requests the authorization of a group to explore this and
bring a report and possible recommendations to the 2014 fall meeting of
the ELCA Conference of Bishops and Church Council regarding next steps in
carrying out the commitment to pastoral care for same-gender couples and
their families.
With a 787 to 41 vote, the assembly approved six memorials en bloc
on topics addressing fossil fuels, hydraulic fracturing, immigration
detention, gender identity discrimination, the uniting American families
act and the social statement on criminal justice. In a separate action,
the assembly approved Aug. 16 the ELCA’s 12 social statement: “The Church
and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries.”