ELCA Department for Communication, News & Information
8765 West Higgins Rd, Chicago, IL 60631 800/638-3522 ext. 2963
ELCA NEWSBRIEFS ISSUE #01, January 30, 1996
KIDS TALK ABOUT STEREOTYPES
Kids speak to kids about racial stereotypes in "The Family of
God," a new videotape produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America. The five-part resource and study guide are designed
to help pre-adolescents (ages 8-12) learn to respond to racial
stereotypes in church and society. Children are encouraged to
value themselves and people of different races as God's children
through biblical stories and learning activities. The Rev.
Charles Ruehle, producer, said the ELCA recognized this area of
need. "We are realizing more and more that young people have
picked up stereotypes from our culture, from the media,
advertising and toys, and carry them." He said, "Some of the
most typical are the widespread stereotypes of Native Americans,
not based on any real experience with 20th century Native
Americans." The videotape features "18 delightful pre-
adolescents, a cross-cultural group gathered from about four
congregations in the Milwaukee area," Ruehle said. "They're very
open. They sense the pain beneath society's thin veneer, and
kids at this age have a very strong sense of what is right, what
is just." Congregations may teach the five sessions in a variety
of settings: Sunday school, vacation Bible school, retreats, mid-
week programs or day camp. "The Family of God" was produced by
the ELCA's Commission for Multicultural Ministries in cooperation
with the Department for Communication and the Division for
Congregational Ministries.
MID-ATLANTIC FLOODING
Lutheran disaster response grants have exceeded $66,000 following
the Mid-Atlantic states flooding disaster. Thousands of people
have been evacuated from their homes as several major
Pennsylvania rivers flooded their banks. "It is clear we face a
major disaster," said the Rev. Leon Phillips Jr., director of the
Inter-Lutheran Disaster Response. ILDR, a joint ministry of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod, is responding to the flooding as damage
assessments become clear. In Pennsylvania more than 500 hundred
homes have been lost in the area near Williamsport, and the death
toll continues to rise. In the Harrisburg area 8,000 people
remain out of their homes and damage is widespread. Bedford
County is devastated. Serious damage is reported in Maryland
counties bordering Bedford County. The Rev. Mark L. Killen,
First English Lutheran Church, Wheeling, W.V., reports serious
damage to about 5,000 homes in his area. Killen said three-
fourths of his congregation was affected in some way by the
flooding. Initial emergency funds have been made available in
central Pennsylvania. The Rev. Kenneth W. Longfield reports his
church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Reedsville, Pa., along with
many others in the area, is flooded out. "It looks like we'll
face several weeks of trying to put everything back into working
order. Please remember all of us." Phillips and
the Rev. A. Donald Main, bishop of the ELCA's Upper Susquehanna
Synod, met with pastors in Williamsport on Jan. 23. Fifteen
staff members of Tressler Lutheran Services, Mechanicsburg, Pa.,
have either lost their homes or suffered major damage. Tressler
is the agency managing disaster response on behalf of ILDR.
Phillips reports that ILDR resources are stretched by recent
major disasters in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
VETO WELFARE REFORM
The Rev. H. George Anderson, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, sent a mailgram message to U.S. President Bill
Clinton on Dec. 19 asking him to veto welfare reform legislation
approved by Congress. Clinton vetoed the plan Jan. 9. "I
believe the consequences of this legislation will be devastating
to desperately poor families with children and other vulnerable
people who have few alternatives. It provides no guarantee that
even the poorest of the poor will receive services," Anderson
said. "I acknowledge that the welfare system as it now exists
needs reform. However, that reform needs to move in a different
direction. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is willing
and eager to work with policy makers to fashion more responsible
welfare reform legislation in the future," said Anderson. The
Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs in Washington, D.C.,
uses the church's "Working Principles for Welfare Reform" to
advise lawmakers.
DIRECTOR FOR HISPANIC MINISTRIES NAMED
The Rev. Gregory J. Villalon is the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America's new director for Hispanic Ministries and Leadership
Ministries in the Commission for Multicultural Ministries.
Villalon currently serves as bishop of the ELCA's Caribbean
Synod. The beginning date of his service in the commission will
be May 1. Villalon did his undergraduate work at Herbert H.
Lehman College, New York, and earned his master of divinity
degree in 1983 from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia. Villalon served as pastor at Our Savioržs Lutheran
Church, Queens, N.Y., and Zion Lutheran Church and Holy Trinity
Lutheran Church both in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, before becoming
bishop in 1993. He and Letty Villalon are the parents of two
children.
HARLAN F. FOSS DIED
The Rev. Harlan F. Foss, the seventh president of St. Olaf
College, Northfield, Minn., died Dec. 20 at age 77. Foss, who
lived in Sun City, Ariz., during the winter, died in a Phoenix
hospital, where he was taken when he fell ill while playing golf.
Foss, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
served as St. Olaf's president for five years. He also served as
acting vice president and college dean, and was a religion
professor for 33 years. Foss graduated from St. Olaf in 1940 and
from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., in 1944. He did his
doctoral work at Drew University, Madison, N.J. Foss served Mt.
Carmel Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wis., prior to joining the St.
Olaf faculty. His son is the Rev. Richard J. Foss, bishop of the
ELCA's Eastern North Dakota Synod.
PEACE PRIZE FORUM
The eighth annual Peace Prize Forum will be held Feb. 23-24, at
Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. The forum focuses on the theme
"Striving for Peace: From National to Common Security." Speakers
and workshops will explore the need for revised notions of
national and global security. Many policy analysts are realizing
that in the 21st century national security will be significantly
affected by demographic, environmental and technological trends.
Specific attention will be focused on the political situation in
the Middle East and the ways in which these trends are already
impacting that region of the world, said forum coorindator Karen
Martin-Schramm. Speakers include Timothy Wirth, U.S.
undersecretary of state for global affairs; Dr. Hanan Ashrawi,
commissioner general of the Palestinian Independent Commission
for Citizen's Rights; and Dr. Geir Lundestad, director of the
Norwegian Nobel Institute. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Yitzhak
Rabin had been invited to address the forum. The forum has been
dedicated to the cause of peace. Also invited to address the
forum are Rabinžs successor and co-laureate Prime Minister Shimon
Peres, and Palestinian co-laureate Yasir Arafat. The Peace Prize
Forum is sponsored annually and hosted on a rotating basis by
five colleges of Norwegian heritage associated with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Augsburg, Minneapolis;
Augustana, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Concordia, Moorhead, Minn.; Luther,
Decorah, Iowa; and St. Olaf, Northfield, Minn.
CHURCH SUSTAINS $200,000 DAMAGE IN BLAZE
A fire erupted Dec. 28 at New Creation Lutheran Church, San Jose,
Calif., causing an estimated $200,000 in damage. The building is
the home of two separate congregations -- the New Creation
Lutheran Church and the Ambassadors for Christ Christian Center.
The combined congregations number about 120 people. The church
houses a day-care center and several community groups hold their
meetings there. "It's a big loss for all ages -- for the
children to the oldest members of the congregations, to the
community organizations that need a place to meet," said Glenda
Voss, a member of New Creation. The fire appears to have been
set deliberately, arson investigators said. Arson investigators
found evidence of forced entry and traces of a flammable liquid
in the 7,000-square-foot church. Neighboring churches have
volunteered space for the 60-member New Creation congregation to
meet.
OUR SAVIOUR'S DESTROYED BY FIRE
Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, an 85-year-old church in
Minneapolis, was destroyed by fire Dec. 16. The fire broke out
about 2:30 a.m. and took more than seven hours to bring under
control. There were no serious injuries, but 31 homeless people
staying at the church were evacuated. Authorities said the
building, built in 1910 and insured for about $2 million, was a
total loss. Some thought the loss of the church would lead to
cancellation of Sunday services, but church members gathered at
the school across the street. "I know we are all grieving right
now for that beautiful building," the Rev. Janet Tidemann told
the congregation of about 250, "[but] we accept this gift from
God, this new beginning." The Rev. David W. Olson, bishop of the
ELCA's Minneapolis Area Synod, said the congregation "really
demonstrated a true sense of how God is central and sustaining.
They were passionate about their calling to a neighborhood, to
people." Many of Our Saviour's earliest records, photographs and
important wood carvings -- dating back to about 1870 -- had been
previously sent to the ELCA's Region 3 Archives, St. Paul, Minn.,
for safe keeping. "Had we not held them here, these almost
certainly would have been lost," said Paul A. Daniels, archivist,
ELCA Region 3. Daniels stressed the need for congregations to
plan ahead and protect their valuable historical materials and
art objects.
REBUILDING IN CHINA
Action of Churches Together (ACT) is working through the Amity
Foundation to meet the needs of flood victims in China. In the
early summer torrential rains poured down across China resulting
in some of the worst floods of this century. Ten southern
provinces were swamped; the worst affected regions were in Hunan
and Jiangxi Provinces. The Chinese government reported that 100
million people were affected by the flood with 1.3 million
evacuated from their homes. Economic damage is estimated at
$U.S. 4 billion with 6.6 million hectares of crops destroyed. In
August rain fell in the northeast of China resulting in further
catastrophe as flood waters swept away more homes and crops.
Estimates in August were that in the northeastern provinces
400,000 homes and 533,300 hectares of wheat crops were destroyed.
A team from the Amity Foundation assessed the damage and helped
local communities determine priorities. The team reports that
farmers have concentrated their efforts on replanting. Crops of
oats, rice and vegetables have been resown. Areas of bare land
remain where the flood waters prevented replanting. Priorities
are reconstruction of homes and re-establishing the food grain
supply. Schools must be rebuilt in many villages. Physical
labor for the projects is contributed by local people with Amity
providing materials and equipment. ACT is a worldwide network of
churches, including the Lutheran World Federation, meeting human
need through coordinated emergency response.
LUTHERANS RESCUE SOMALIS
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is aiding vulnerable children
and women in Somalia, providing an airlift operation to resupply
critical food stock levels in Mogadishu and other areas. "This
is the kind of generosity that makes a difference. This
contribution can actually save lives now and prevent tragedy in
the future. We are very grateful," UNICEF's Somalia
representative, Pierce Gerety, told the Nairobi Sunday Standard.
A series of 30 flights is airlifting 600 tons of food, health
education, water, sanitation and fuel supplies to the Somali
capital Mogadishu and elsewhere. In Mogadishu, 15,000 children
under five years of age will benefit directly from the operation
and a further 2,500 are expected to benefit in the southern port
town of Kismayo. A combination of poor harvests, lack of rain,
drought, floods and insecurity, as well as the departure of the
United Nations Mission in Somalia in March, have contributed to
an escalating cost of living and decreased purchasing power, and
consequently have led to malnutrition. The LWF is a communion of
122 member churches, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
WEST BENGAL FLOOD RECOVERY
The Indian state of West Bengal is faced with severe flood damage
caused by excessive rains in the autumn of 1995. In the first
week of October the century's heaviest rainfall was recorded in
the northern part of West Bengal. The Lutheran World Federation
moved, immediately after the flooded areas became accessible, to
start life-saving relief work among 12,000 flood victims,
focusing on children and mothers. Flood victims were served
through 19 nutrition centers. According to Action of Churches
Together (ACT), water is now a critical need. At present there
is water everywhere but none safe to drink. ACT plans to sink
wells at 150 strategic points to ensure potable drinking water
for about 75,000 people. ACT will distribute materials for the
reconstruction of homes to 1,000 families whose houses were
completely destroyed. The new houses will have a new, improved
design, using concrete pillars as a skeleton and wooden trusses
with bamboo rafters. Bamboo, tiles or thatch and timber are all
available locally, and the families will participate in the
rebuilding of their dwellings. School buildings will be
reconstructed where schools were lost. Each will have toilet
facilities and drinking water. The permanent structures will be
not only educational institutes, but also community shelters in
times of emergency. ACT is a worldwide network of churches,
including the Lutheran World Federation, meeting human need
through coordinated emergency response.
OBSERVERS HAIL ELECTIONS
"For the greater part, we saw competent management of the
election process," said a statement issued by the International
Ecumenical Election Observers after the Palestinian elections
held Jan. 20 under provisions of the Israeli-Palestinian peace
agreements. "In many places the election was a community event
that expressed seriousness and pride in the process of voting.
We observed no violence, overt intimidation or coercion," said
representatives of the World Council of Churches, the National
Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., the Church of Sweden
Mission and Maryknoll, the Roman Catholic foreign mission
society. They did cite several circumstances that "reduced the
number of voters who were able to vote," such as a breakdown in
"the secrecy of the balloting," lost voter registrations,
inconvenient poll locations and heightened security.
"Checkpoints on West Bank roads set up by the Israeli Defense
Forces impeded the travel of voters to polling stations," said
the statement. The Rev. Mark B. Brown, a pastor of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, was one of the 19
Christian observers. He is an associate director for public
policy advocacy ministry of the Lutheran Office for Governmental
Affairs (LOGA) in Washington, D.C.
BURUNDI EMERGENCY
Emergency conditions continue in the African nation of Burundi,
according to Action of Churches Together (ACT). People are
uprooted while sporadic fighting occurs between armed gangs of
militia and the army on an almost constant basis. Thousands are
displaced, hiding in the hills in poor conditions with inadequate
diet and little access to humanitarian aid. There are no signs
of a political solution. ACT's humanitarian programs are
implemented by a wide network of local churches providing food
and non-food items, as well as medical relief to displaced
families. Churches are purchasing and distributing soap, seeds,
tools and other non-food items, distributing food to displaced
people in camps who are unable to return home, and providing
mobile health clinics. Agricultural rehabilitation, house
reconstruction and small income-generating projects for women are
planned for 1996 in less violent regions of the country. Other
efforts include providing school equipment for orphans and
providing housing materials in peaceful areas. ACT is a
worldwide network of churches, including the Lutheran World
Federation, meeting human need through coordinated emergency
response.
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ELCA FEBRUARY 1996
Making Christ Known through people from many cultures
1 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Lutheran-Episcopal
Planning, Delray Beach, Fla.
2-3 Division for Higher Education and Schools, Evangelical
Lutheran Education Association Annual Conference-
Network 4, "Teachers Sent by God," Golden Valley, Minn.
2-3 Division for Outreach, Region 1 Consultation,
Visitation Retreat Center, Federal Way, Wash.
2-4 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Lutheran Ecumenical
Representatives Network, Delray Beach, Fla.
3-6 Division for Higher Education and Schools, Lutheran
Educational Conference of North America and ELCA
Council of College Presidents, Newport Beach, Calif.
5 Division for Outreach, Region 7 Consultation,
Seafarer's International House, New York
5-8 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Lutheran Ecumenical
Representatives Network and Episcopal Diocesan
Ecumenical Officers, Duncan Center, Delray Beach, Fla.
8 Division for Outreach, Region 2 Consultation, Grand
Canyon Synod Conference Center, Phoenix
8-9 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Pre-Hong Kong
Assembly Planning Committee, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada, Winnepeg, Manitoba
8-11 Department for Communication, Communicators'
Consultation, Lutheran Center, Chicago
8-12 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Lutheran-Episcopal
Consultation, Delray Beach, Fla.
9-10 Division for Higher Education and Schools, Florida All-
Lutheran Early Childhood Conference, Faith Lutheran
School, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
10-11 Board of Pensions, Trustees, Marquette Hotel,
Minneapolis
11 Department for Communication, Advisory Committee,
Lutheran Center, Chicago
11-12 Grand Canyon Synod, "Senior Saints Alive," Gathering,
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Phoenix
12 Division for Global Mission, Southern Africa Network,
Lutheran Center, Chicago
12-15 Department for Communication, NCC Communication
Committees, Presbyterian Center, Louisville, Ky.
14-15 Division for Ministry, Theological Education
Coordinating Committee, Chicago
14-18 Commission for Multicultural Ministries, Multicultural
Writers Workshop, Chicago
15-16 Division for Outreach, Region 3 Consultation, Luther
Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
15-18 Division for Congregational Ministries, Council of
Synod Lutheran Youth Organization Presidents, Chicago
16-18 Division for Outreach, Mission Builders, Construction
Managers, Lutheran Center, Chicago
17-19 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Lutheran-Reformed
Coordinating Committee, Delray Beach, Fla.
19-20 Conference of Bishops, First Call Assignments
Consultations, Lutheran Center, Chicago
*** END ***
NEWSBRIEFS are prepared for the news media as a supplement to the
ELCA news releases.
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