wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Asks Drought Aid, Adopts Various Measures

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 22, 1999

ELCA ASSEMBLY ASKS DROUGHT AID, ADOPTS VARIOUS MEASURES
99-CWA-59-DM

     DENVER (ELCA)-- The 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Aug. 21 asked for a variety of efforts
from the church to help those in rural America suffering from the
effects of the severe drought afflicting many regions of the United
States.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, met here Aug. 16-22 at the Colorado Convention Center.  There were
more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,038 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Hope for a New Century."
     The drought-aid resolution, adopted by a vote of 917 to 44, asked
the ELCA and various church units to allocate emergency-relief funds, to
educate congregations about the need for funds, to "strengthen" drought-relief policies, and to provide information about economic, social and
mental-health services available to those in drought-afflicted areas.
     The resolution was one of several handled by the Reference and
Counsel Committee, which considers proposals submitted by assembly
voting members and makes recommendations for action.  Although the
committee had recommended the drought-aid resolution be referred to the
ELCA Divisions for Church in Society and for Congregational Ministries,
the assembly voted to adopt the original resolution and added a request
for the two divisions to consider a response from domestic-hunger funds
and disaster funds.
     The Rev. Ralph W. Dunkin, bishop of the ELCA West Virginia-Western
Maryland Synod, urged the assembly not to refer the resolution.  He said
that portions of West Virginia are in a two-year drought.  "I don't
think there's time to wait," he said.
     In other actions related to Reference and Counsel recommendations,
the assembly:
     -- affirmed an ELCA Division for Outreach goal of 100 new ministry
starts each year for the next 20 years, an effort called "2000
Congregations" that will encourage established congregations to start
new ministries.  The action encouraged the division to find ways for
smaller congregations to contribute to the effort.
     -- referred to the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries a
proposed resolution "to vigorously repudiate those who advocate violence
against persons or destruction of property in the name of our God or
under cover of the Bible."
     -- referred to the ELCA Office of the Bishop a proposal that the
2001 Churchwide Assembly focus on the current rural economic crisis in
an effort to provide support for farmers, ranchers and other food-producers.
     -- in action Aug. 18, referred to the ELCA Division for Church in
Society a proposal to express concern over U.S. and worldwide military
spending and to call for curtailment of such spending in favor of
helping the economically underprivileged people of the United States and
the world.
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