wfn.org | ELCA Church Council Increases World Hunger Appeal Goal

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 20, 2002

ELCA CHURCH COUNCIL INCREASES WORLD HUNGER APPEAL GOAL
02-273-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) reaffirmed a churchwide assembly action to
increase the annual income goal for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal to $25
million by 2005.  The council received an update on "Stand With Africa:
A Campaign of Hope" and moved to expand awareness among the 5.1 million
members of the ELCA on the HIV/AIDS crisis and famine in Africa.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies.
The council met here Nov. 15-17.  Assemblies are held every other year;
the next is Aug. 11-17, 2003, in Milwaukee.
     The 2002 goal of the appeal was $16.5 million.  The council
reaffirmed the goal of the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Denver of
increasing income for the appeal to $25 million by 2005 and called "upon
this church to work" toward reaching that goal.
     "This goal may not be realistic without a specific plan to make it
happen," said the Rev. Karen L. Soli, Sioux Falls, S.D., council member.
"If we do not change how we're doing things, change won't happen." Soli
asked council members to reduce the $25 million income goal to a "more
attainable one."
     The goal "seems like a small amount," said Faith A. Ashton, Chapel
Hill, N.C., council member.  If each member of the ELCA gave $5.00 the
goal can be reached, she said.	"We have to make that known," Ashton
added.
     Sally Young, Waterloo, Iowa, chair of the council's program and
services committee, said the resolution to increase the appeal's income
goal "came to us as a reminder that we need to encourage efforts that
will bring more giving."  Young said the goal serves as a "challenge" to
the council and the church.
     The council received a report on "Stand With Africa," a three-year
campaign of the ELCA, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Lutheran
World Relief (LWR) that focuses on withstanding HIV/AIDS, banishing
hunger and building peace in sub-Saharan Africa.  LWR is the overseas
relief development ministry of the ELCA and LCMS.
     "Six thousand people die each day in Africa from HIV/AIDS.  That's
two World Trade Center disasters," said the Rev. Bonnie L. Jensen,
executive director, ELCA Division for Global Mission.  Jensen delivered
an update on activities related to Stand With Africa.
     "Three million people died of AIDS in 2001.  Of that, 2.2 million
in Africa alone," Jensen said.	"Poverty and hunger can lead to
HIV/AIDS, and HIV/AIDS leads to poverty and hunger," she said.
     "Stand With Africa is about hope and it is about choices," Jensen
said.  "It would take $7 billion per year -- $1.5 billion from the
United States -- to cut hunger in half by 2015," she said, adding that
"$2 billion was the amount spent on Halloween candy this year."
     In 2001 the ELCA World Hunger Appeal received $329,000 designated
for Stand With Africa.	In April of that year the council allocated
$350,000 for Stand With Africa. This year contributions from Lutherans
have already exceeded $500,000 with four months remaining in the fiscal
year.
     In the ELCA half of all Stand With Africa income is directed to
LWR and the other half funds specific initiatives of ELCA synod
relationships with churches overseas for projects in three campaign
areas: AIDS, hunger and peacemaking.  The Division for Global Mission
has taken the lead in coordinating this response.
     The council "acknowledged with gratitude" the work of the ELCA
World Hunger Program in partnership with LWR which has "given life" to
the Stand With Africa campaign.  It also "reaffirmed" the commitment of
the ELCA to "walk with the churches of Africa"; expressed appreciation
for the 65 synods of the ELCA, congregations, individuals and others for
"going the second mile" in giving; encouraged additional offerings in
2003; and supported members of the Lutheran Youth Organization in their
special "million dollar" challenge goal to support the campaign.
     In a separate decision, the council moved to encourage Lutherans
to expand awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis and famine in Africa, and
"give generously" to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, Stand With Africa and
"international emergency appeals to respond to the urgent needs of
people affected by hunger, drought, famine and disease in Africa" and
other "countries in need."
     The council also asked the ELCA Division for Church in Society to
"request that pharmaceutical companies in which the ELCA holds corporate
shares support national and international efforts to make generic anti-
retroviral (ARV) drugs accessible to persons living with HIV/AIDS in
developing countries" and continue to "raise with U.S. government
officials and intergovernmental bodies the need for U.S. policy to
reflect concerns related to hunger, drought, famine and disease in
developing countries."
     Council members contributed $3,700 for the Stand With Africa
campaign and the World Hunger Appeal during worship on Nov. 17.
-- -- --
     Information about the World Hunger Program is available at
http://www.elca.org/hunger/ on the ELCA Web site.  Information about
Stand With Africa is at http://www.elca.org/hunger/standwithafrica.html
on the Web.

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