ELCA NEWS SERVICE March 3, 2004 Multicultural Ministries Committee Discusses ELCA's Redesign 04-034-MR CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The steering committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Commission for Multicultural Ministries (CMM) participated in a process to redesign the church's organization and received reports on work of the commission when it met here Feb. 27-28. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, opened the meeting with information about "Faithful Yet Changing: The Plan for Mission in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America." Faithful Yet Changing includes a process to restructure the ELCA churchwide organization based on the mission statement and strategic directions affirmed by the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Hanson made an initial proposal to restructure the churchwide office in September 2003 and withdrew it a month later. Under that initial proposal, the commission was eliminated. Hanson called the new process for redesigning the churchwide organization "much more participatory." He invited all ethnic communities to get involved in a "three stage process" that will lead to the redesign. "We're back to listening" and "bringing in consultants" to build on the strategic directions and commitments for implementation, Hanson said, describing the nature of the first phase, which began in January and will end in April. Information from conversations held in the first phase will serve as input for the second phase of work, which involves the building of alternative designs for churchwide work. Hanson said a "proposal writer" will be identified in the second phase, beginning in May and ending in July. In the third phase a draft of a proposal for the restructuring will come from the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop for presentation to the ELCA Church Council this fall. "Additional critique before presentation to the Church Council" will take place, Hanson told the committee. While the restructuring process is in effect, "we're still experiencing a reduction in giving" which has led to "staff, grant and program cuts," Hanson said. In the midst of these reductions, "there are positive factors taking place, such as the collaborative nature of the planning team and units" of the churchwide organization, he said. As the church moves into the future, Hanson encouraged members of the steering committee not to "quit leading the church." He asked the committee to help the church be "accountable to its values and commitments" to be an "anti-racist church." The steering committee met in small groups to work on phase one of Faithful Yet Changing. Members of the steering committee addressed a series of questions on how multicultural ministry supports the strategic directions of the church. Responses to the questions will serve as input for the redesign. In his report to the committee, the Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, CMM executive director, shared an idea on how the multicultural ministry efforts of the churchwide office could be organized. "As we look into the new structure, I would like to see the establishment of seven churchwide ministry teams. They are African American and Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, Arab and Middle Eastern, Latino, racial justice ministries and multicultural education," Rajan said. Other churchwide units "with ethnic-specific or multicultural ministry portfolios" should join these team as a members, "under the leadership of the director for the commission," Rajan told the steering committee. Currently the commission provides advice, counsel and services to ELCA churchwide units and congregations across the country that wish to become more culturally diverse. It works to achieve full partnership and participation of African American and Black, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native people in the life of the church and society. It develops resources, training and workshops to help the ELCA dismantle racism. The directors of CMM's five ethnic "desks" provided reports on their work. Highlights included: + An announcement of the ELCA Multicultural Gathering, "Lift Every Voice," July 9-11 in Orlando, Fla. Participants will talk about the future of multicultural ministries in the church and experience multicultural worship, music and dance. Each of the ELCA's five ethnic associations will hold its biennial assembly preceding the gathering, said Rosemary Dyson, CMM associate executive director. + A report delivered by the Rev. Helen Locklear, associate director for racial ethnic ministries program area, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). "Racial Ethnic Ministries is moving in the direction of becoming a cohesive ministry team, collaborating together to benefit the whole, rather than working individually as a single entity as it has for so many years," she said. Locklear highlighted two strategies designed to direct Presbyterian ministries: "The Racial Ethnic/Immigrant Evangelism Growth Strategy" and "Facing Racism: A Vision of the Beloved Community." + The start of seven Asian and Pacific Island ministries in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Texas. The Rev. Pongsak Limthongviratn, CMM director for Asian and Pacific Islanders ministries, said these ministries are working to get organized by the ELCA's Asian Church Planning Team and ELCA Division for Outreach. About 80 church leaders from the ELCA Asian community attended the "Third Asian Lutheran International Conference" Feb. 13-17 in Bangkok, Thailand. Asian Lutheran International Conferences were initiated at the 1997 Association of Asian and Pacific Islander Assembly in Los Angeles. The first two conferences were held in Hong Kong, 1999, and Bangkok in 2001. + The organization of a "theologian committee" to help advance the Latino ministry strategy approved by the 2001 Churchwide Assembly. The committee's "objective is to spread the strategy," said the Rev. Carlos Paiva, president of the Latino Association of the ELCA. Paiva told the CMM steering committee that the strategy "is becoming a key piece in advancing the Latino ministries" of the church. Members of the association are working with CMM and various divisions and departments of the ELCA churchwide office to implement the strategy fully, he said. Paiva said the association supports Comite Interluterano de Ministerios en la Frontera -- a Lutheran committee that supports and sustains ministries along the United States-Mexico border. Carmen Rodriquez Rivera, CMM director for Latino ministries, serves as an ex-officio member of the committee. + Information about the development of an ELCA African Descent Strategic Plan. The Rev. Julius Carroll IV, CMM director for African American/Black ministries, is managing the strategic planning process. A final draft of the plan will be presented to the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Members of the African American Lutheran Association met Nov. 15 in Brooklyn, N.Y., and formed focus groups to work on the strategy. + A report from Marilyn M. Sorenson, CMM director for American Indian and Alaska Native ministries. Sorenson attended the National Congress of American Indians annual meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., and the Council of Native American Ministries (CoNAM) biannual meeting there last fall. CoNAM is an ecumenical group that relates to the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Sorenson said the ELCA American Indian and Alaska Native Association will sponsor a retreat for American Indian and Alaska Native clergy during at the Lift Every Voice event this summer. + Learned about conversations between the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries and CMM staff on the need for a book of worship in the Arabic language. The Rev. Bassam J. Abdallah, CMM consultant for Arab and Middle Eastern ministries, provided information on the Arab and Middle Eastern Strategy for mission and ministry in the ELCA. "The Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim communities continue to feel the lack of safety and the continued harassment at airports, places of business, college campuses or places of employment," Abdallah told the committee. "There needs to be a strong stand that the church must take to lift the agony we are going through and insist that the mistreatment of individuals either because of their name, skin color or place of birth should come to an immediate halt," he said. -- -- -- The Commission for Multicultural Ministries has a home page at http://www.elca.org/cmm/ on the ELCA Web site. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news