wfn.org | ELCA Joins Global Debt Reduction Effort

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 24, 1997

ELCA JOINS GLOBAL DEBT REDUCTION EFFORT
97-34-102-AH

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America will participate in the
"Jubilee/USA Campaign" based on action taken the
ELCA Church Council at its meeting here Nov.
14-16.  "Jubilee 2000 is a worldwide grassroots
movement aimed at creating a fresh start for
impoverished nations as our world enters a new
millennium," the council was told.
     The Rev. Charles S. Miller, director of the
ELCA's Division for Church in Society, said, "The
vision of the international religious campaign
known as Jubilee 2000 is the positioning of
developing countries to be able to address in a
sustainable way the health, education and welfare
needs of their citizens by eliminating the burden
of debt currently carried by these countries."
     In August the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly
affirmed the concern regarding debt in the
developing world originally expressed by the
Minneapolis Area Synod and referred the matter to
Church in Society.
     Miller said, "We know that the very basic
physical existence of people in many developing
countries is on the precipice and is precarious at
best.  And few dispute that global debt is a major
contributing factor to the national instability
and individual jeopardy in many countries."
     The ELCA can make a distinct contribution,
Miller said.  "We have the extensive experience of
the division for Global Mission ... we have the
body of economic scholars identified in the course
of our study on economic life; we have concrete
knowledge in wedding vision, values, mission and
strategies."
     Jubilee 2000 has been endorsed by the
Lutheran World Federation, U.S. Catholic
Conference, Lutheran World Relief and Bread for
the World.
     ELCA involvement in the coming months will
mean continuing service by staff of the Lutheran
Office on Governmental Affairs on the Jubilee
2000/USA working group in Washington, D.C.  The
church will work to educate its members about the
effects of indebtedness of people living in
poverty and encourage grassroots advocacy.
     "In spite of previous efforts to restructure
loans and interest schedules, many of the world's
poorest debtor nations face continuing, massive
repayment efforts which drain scarce resources and
assets," the council was told.  "The debt burden
diverts funds which are needed for health care,
education and clean water."
     In another action the Church Council affirmed
the Division for Church in Society's recent
decision "to develop a message on immigrants and
immigration policy."  That message is set to come
before the council at its November 1998 meeting.
     The council referred to Church in Society an
assembly action related to persons with
disabilities.  That action calls for a review of
the church's ministry with people with
disabilities and study of the possibility of
establishing a churchwide commission for people
with disabilities.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or
NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html