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