wfn.org | ELCA Council Transmits Proposed Statement on Economic Life

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 15, 1999

ELCA COUNCIL TRANSMITS PROPOSED STATEMENT ON ECONOMIC LIFE
99-15-092-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) will consider adding a document called "Sufficient, Sustainable
Livelihood for All: A Social Statement on Economic Life" to its series
of social statements.  The ELCA Church Council received the document
from the ELCA Division for Church in Society and placed it on the
agenda
of the church's next assembly.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide
assemblies.  The council met here April 9-12.  Assemblies are held
every
other year; the next is August 16-22 in Denver.
     The proposed social statement describes itself as a way to
"assess
economic life today in light of the moral imperative to seek
sufficient,
sustainable livelihood for all."
     The implementing resolution on the assembly's agenda adopts the
social statement, calls Lutherans to work for a sufficient,
sustainable
livelihood for everyone and increase their giving to the ELCA's hunger
relief programs, encourages the various ministries and institutions of
the church to work for economic justice, directs the units of the
church
"to review and adjust their programs and practices in light of this
social statement," and asks the church's educational institutions "to
develop programs and educational resources in light of this statement
so
people can be better prepared to respond to the challenges of economic
life."
     The proposed statement devotes sections to explain the title:
"For All: Especially Those Living in Poverty;" "Livelihood: Vocation,
Work and Human Dignity;" "Sufficiency: Enough But Not Too Much;" and
"Sustainability: Of the Environment, Agriculture and Low-Income
Communities."  Each of those sections includes actions to which "we
commit ourselves as a church" and actions which "we call for" in the
wider society.
     Council members suggested several editorial changes to the
16-page
document, which will inform the editorial process during the assembly,
said the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive director of the ELCA
Division
for Church in Society.
     The division assists the ELCA in considering moral issues,
prepares social statements and messages, coordinates the church's
world
hunger and domestic disaster response programs, relates to 280 social
ministry organizations through Lutheran Services in America, develops
education and program resources on social issues, and coordinates the
ELCA's advocacy with state, national, and international governmental
bodies and with institutions in the private sector.
     Since the ELCA was formed in 1988 it has adopted a foundational
statement on the church in society and social statements on abortion,
the death penalty, the environment, peace and racism.

EDITORS: The full text of the proposed social statement can be seen at
http://www.elca.org/DCS/suffsus.html

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html