ELCA members promote racial justice on Solidarity Sunday

 CHICAGO (ELCA) – In an effort to continue this church's commitment to racial justice, some congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) participated in Solidarity Sunday Dec. 14 with prayer and engagement with other denominations using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

In a December letter to the ELCA Conference of Bishops, an advisory body of this church, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, and the Rev. Leonard Bolick, bishop of the ELCA North Carolina Synod, shared an invitation from ecumenical partners – three senior bishops of Black Methodist churches – to participate in Solidarity Sunday. That participation included some ELCA pastors and members attending a march in Washington, D.C.
Eaton and Bolick serve as chairs for the ELCA and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church discourse. A 2011 Statement of Mission between both denominations "reminds us that we 'believe it is time that our churches come together as communities of faith and to know each other in order that we might be more effective as people of God,'" they wrote.
On Solidarity Sunday, members of Calvary Lutheran Church in Minneapolis wore black as a symbol of solidarity.
"I wore a black academic gown with a stole to help draw attention to our solidarity. We also talked about racial justice and ways to be involved," said Calvary's pastor, the Rev. Bradley Froslee, who added that some members will also be attending a rally and vigil Dec. 20 at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Froslee said the plan is to join others at the mall. He added, though, that "the mall has issued a statement (that) because it's private property, people can be suspended from visiting the mall for one year." Despite the warning and because they are committed to the vigil and racial justice, Froslee said "a handful of our members do plan to attend."
Members of Calvary Lutheran created a race equity team four years ago "to look at how we address racism, White privilege and equity in our congregation and community. Minneapolis has one of the highest disparities in education, employment and general poverty, and we've been addressing that," said Froslee.
As part of "ongoing growth," Froslee said the race equity team continues to lead efforts and that in May 2015 he and his family will travel to South Africa for deeper study. The Rev. Sherman Hicks, an ELCA pastor, will serve as interim pastor of Calvary and "work with the congregation on racial justice and how we continue to build bridges," Froslee said. "Calvary has had a long history of ongoing commitments to looking at racial justice and reconciliation" and members have learned from pastors who have served the congregation, including the Rev. Earleen Miller, the first African American woman pastor in the Lutheran Church of America – a predecessor church of the ELCA, he said.
Following their Dec. 28 worship, members of Augsburg Lutheran Church in Baltimore plan to rally in front of their church building with other partners and "express our voices in support of the struggle or movement that is happening across the country," said the Rev. Eric T. Campbell of Augsburg. "We will come together wearing black on the front steps of Augsburg."
"The work of racial justice is about aligning the values for fair treatment for all, across all sectors of society with ongoing actions. Whether we are using our voices on social media, joining with others committed to work for justice, or marching in solidarity, it's important to acknowledge efforts happening both individually and collectively across the ELCA," said Judith Roberts, director for ELCA Racial Justice Ministries.
The ELCA's social statement, "Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture" is available at http://www.elca.org/Faith/Faith-and-Society/Social-Statements/Race-Ethnicity-and-Culture and the social statement, "The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries" at http://www.elca.org/Faith/Faith-and-Society/Social-Statements/Criminal-Justice.