ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 11, 2007
ELCA Assembly Requests HIV and AIDS Strategy Development 07-CWA-047-AL
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) passed a resolution Aug. 8 calling for a churchwide strategy for responding to HIV and AIDS to build on and deepen current denominational engagement with the pandemic in the U.S. and around the world.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. About 2,000 people participated, including 1,069 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly was "Living in God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
"Someone once said, 'Half of the body of Christ is dying of AIDS, and the other half doesn't care,'" said the Rev. Rebecca S. Larson, executive director, ELCA Church in Society. "This is a clear demonstration that the ELCA does care, and will respond, and is committed to doing that in a sustained way over time."
The resolution requesting the strategy, passed by a vote of 925 to 22, urges further prayer, charity, advocacy, and education efforts to fight the pandemic. The ELCA has committed $1 million to be used for the strategy's implementation and the Lutheran World Federation's efforts fighting HIV and AIDS worldwide.
Two voting members expressed concerns that the proposal lacked sufficient financial support, and a resolution was passed Aug. 11 by a vote of 586 to 13, encouraging the ELCA Church Council to commit up to an additional $1 million to the implementation of the strategy.
"I'd like to challenge the Church Council to find some additional monies so that we can continue to implement this," said the Rev. Paul W. Stumme-Diers, bishop, ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod, who offered the resolution for additional financial support to the project. Stumme-Diers said additional funding would allow the church to better "leverage the hearts and minds and compassion of our members in our congregations."
The strategy would build on current ELCA efforts to combat HIV and AIDS, which include the "Stand with Africa" campaign and advocacy efforts surrounding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The "Stand with Africa" campaign, launched in 2001 and reaffirmed in 2004, makes the AIDS pandemic in Africa an ongoing emphasis for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Advocacy efforts surrounding the MDGs, eight interrelated targets for the elimination of extreme global poverty by 2015, include a focus on combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
The Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission, said the development of a comprehensive strategy would "bring together all the sectors within the church that are actively engaged in HIV and AIDS," including congregations, synods, the churchwide organization, the church's global and ecumenical partners, and Lutheran partner organizations.
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news