wfn.org | Women of the ELCA Delegates Adopt Proposals on Environmental Matters

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: Women of the ELCA Delegates Adopt Proposals on Environmental Matters
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>July 10, 2008  

Women of the ELCA Delegates Adopt Proposals on Environmental Matters
08-107-LT*

SALT LAKE CITY (ELCA) - At a July 9 session of Women of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), delegates adopted
by a vote of 356-16 resolutions that focused on topics such as
minimizing or eliminating the use of plastics, reducing the
consumption of bottled water and raising awareness of mountaintop
removal mining.  The delegates adopted the memorials en bloc.

Women of the ELCA's Seventh Triennial Convention is being
held through July 10 here at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
More than 2,000 women are expected July 10-13 for the Seventh
Triennial Gathering of Women of the ELCA.  The event theme, "Come
to the Waters," focuses on the celebration of Baptism through
Bible study, speakers, community service and worship.

Delegates adopted a resolution stating members, "as good and
faithful stewards of God's creations, act boldly on (their) faith
in Jesus Christ by educating (themselves) on the safe recycling
of plastic products and packaging."  Women of the ELCA
participants will advocate in their respective synods for
"environmentally sensitive packaging" through letter writing and
petitions, according to the convention action.

According to a committee report, "making bottles to meet
Americans' demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5
million barrels of oil annually" and "the United States is the
world's leading consumer of bottled water, with Americans
drinking 26 billion liters in 2004."  Convention delegates voted
to adopt a resolution to encourage limited use of bottled water
at Women of the ELCA churchwide and congregational functions, and
participants are asked to raise awareness about health risks,
economic wastefulness and environmental hazards that arise from
use of bottled water.

A resolution to discourage mountaintop removal mining was
also adopted by the convention.  According to the action, Women
of the ELCA will work to raise awareness of mountaintop removal
mining, work with synods affected by it and advocate for change
through affiliates.  The organization will aim to provide aid to
victims of flooding that has resulted from the mining.

A resolution to initiate contact with Lutheran Advocates for
Maritime Ministries (LAMM) to develop methods to coordinate and
integrate mutual programming to support domestic and global
ministries" was defeated.  According to a committee
recommendation, "It would be beyond the scope of the strategic
plan at this time to engage this particular ministry beyond the
(ELCA's) connections that already exist."
- - -

Information about Women of the ELCA's Seventh Triennial
Convention is at http://womenoftheELCA.org/tc08.html on the Web.

*Luke Tatge is a senior journalism major at Augustana College,
Sioux Falls, S.D.  This summer he is an intern with the ELCA News
Service.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog