ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 10, 2006  

ELCA Bishops Continue Emphasis on Addressing Poverty
06-036-JB

     LAKE GENEVA, Wis. (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) continued
discussions it began last fall on addressing poverty issues in
the public square.  The bishops heard from a law professor, a
well-known national advocate for people living in poverty and
hunger, and from ELCA public policy staff.
     The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the
church, consisting of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding
bishop and secretary.  It met here March 2-7.
     The conference planned initially to meet this month in the
New Orleans area, spending part of its time helping to
rehabilitate homes and neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane
Katrina, but the conference was unable to secure accommodations
there because most space is still occupied by recovery workers
and people left homeless by the storm. The conference may meet in
the Gulf Coast region next year.
     Dr. Susan Pace Hamill, professor of law, University of
Alabama, Tuscaloosa, spoke about public policies and public
spending policies she believes hurt people who can least afford
their basic needs.  Her remarks challenged the behavior of
political leaders and challenged the church to become active in
public policy.
     "The church has a moral responsibility to speak to public
policy issues because it can," Hamill said.  "If the church turns
its back on public policy, the church is not doing what it is
called to do."
     Last fall, the 65 ELCA synod bishops plus the presiding
bishop signed a letter delivered to members of the U.S. Congress,
questioning proposed cuts in social programs -- programs that
benefited people living in poverty and hunger -- and urged
members of Congress to vote against the legislation.  Proposed
cuts to the federal Food Stamp program were restored, but cuts in
other programs were eventually adopted by razor-thin margins by
the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
     Hamill said she was pleased to learn of the ELCA bishops'
efforts.  "The church must speak.  It must not sit quietly by if
(lawmakers) are going to balance the budget on the backs of the
poor."
     Several times during her remarks Hamill reminded the bishops
of the biblical mandate: "To whom much is given, much is
required."  She argued that as income and wealth climb for an
individual the proportional tax burden must also increase.
     "We were created of equal worth but we were not created of
equal substance," she said, adding that some people can do more
than others, and some can and should pay more tax than others.
     Hamill questioned the tax policies of the Bush administration,
saying that it has endorsed proposals to cut taxes for wealth
people while increasing the proportionate share of taxes on the
middle class.  She also noted that in some states, such as Alabama,
where issues like abortion seem to dominate political debate, state
lawmakers adopt budgets that do little to meet the basic needs of
its most needy people.  People of faith must question such
policies, particularly because a significant percentage of U.S.
citizens claim to be religious people, she said.
     "We have perverted faith into 'low sacrifice' so that it's
comfortable for us," she said. "We need to take life seriously in
the 'high sacrifice' realm of tax policy, and we're not."
     Hamill concluded her presentation by adding that the way in
which the federal government and some state governments treat
"the least of these" is "nothing to be proud of."

Bread for the World leader addresses conference members
     The conference also heard from an ELCA pastor who is a
nationally known advocate for people who live in poverty and
hunger, the Rev. David H. Beckmann, president of Bread for the
World, Washington, D.C.  Bread is a nationwide Christian citizens
movement that works through advocacy with government leaders, for
justice for the world's people who are living with hunger.
     Beckmann thanked the ELCA and the bishops for their
leadership, noting that nearly one-sixth of Bread for the World's
55,000 members are ELCA members.  Bread has some 50 partner
church-related organizations, Beckmann said.
     "The ELCA is one of the healthiest large churches in
America," Beckmann said.  "One of the reasons why is that you are
indeed engaged on poverty and hunger issues."
     Beckmann said he is optimistic about the impact of poverty
and hunger advocacy efforts.  "God is moving in the history of
our time to liberate millions of people from hunger, poverty and
disease," he said, noting that the number of people living with
hunger worldwide had declined from two-fifths of the population
in 1975 to one-sixth today.
     The Bush administration has adopted favorable spending on
poverty-focused programs globally, and its trade and agricultural
policies have been favorable for reducing hunger and poverty
elsewhere, Beckmann said.  Domestically poverty has increased in
each of the past five years, and Beckmann said deep cuts in
social programs have not helped.
     Help in reducing poverty and hunger worldwide has come from
an unlikely source -- celebrities such as Bono, the Irish rock
star from the group U-2, and Bill and Melinda Gates of the Gates
Foundation, Beckmann said.
     "God has sent us a prophet that wears sunglasses," he said
of Bono, adding that the singer's high-profile appearances on
behalf of the impoverished and people living with hunger have
been a "powerful help."
     "Bono and the Gates' are making a difference in the world
about hunger and poverty.  Who would have guessed that God would
have sent rock stars and the megarich on these issues?  These are
gifts from God," Beckmann said.
     In addition new churches, church-related groups and members
of conservative Protestant churches are becoming more active in
addressing poverty and hunger concerns, he said.
     Beckmann urged the bishops to keep up their emphasis on
reducing poverty and hunger.  "If we're part of trying to reduce
poverty, we're going to have a lot more credibility when we say
that God loves all people," he said.
     He urged the bishops to encourage ELCA members to:
     + get involved in Bread for the World's annual letter-
writing campaign to members of Congress, urging the lawmakers to
fund programs adequately and reduce hunger and poverty
     + support proposed "hunger-free communities" legislation in
Congress
     + promote organizations that work on behalf of people who
live in poverty and with hunger.

ELCA public policy staff thanks bishops for budget work
     The Conference of Bishops also heard from ELCA public policy
staff who work on the church's behalf in the ELCA Washington,
D.C., office, and some staff who work in state public policy
offices.  They reviewed the strategy to address the federal
budget reconciliation that motivated the bishops' letter to
members of Congress last fall.
     The ELCA Washington office has moved from monitoring and
reporting on federal legislation to direct engagement in the
issues, said Karen Vagley, director. To do that, she told the
bishops the church needs strong "grass roots," and highly
effective "grass tops," or leaders of the church.
     She thanked the bishops for urging members of Congress
publicly to vote against the 2006 federal budget that cut social
programs heavily.
     "At that moment this church, for the first time anyone could
recall, stepped into the public square and knew it could make a
difference," Vagley said.  "We didn't win it all, but we made a
strong impact."
     As Congress begins work on a federal budget for fiscal year
2007, Vagley said she expects "massive cuts" to be proposed in
programs that serve impoverished people.
     Through the efforts of the ELCA and other religious groups,
some 200,000 phone calls were made by people to members of
Congress on the budget reconciliation issue, said Andrew
Genszler, director, domestic issues, ELCA Washington office.
     Genszler told the bishops he understands that lobbying and
advocacy may make them uneasy.
     "This is a ministry of the church.  This is a calling of the
church.  (The Washington office) is strictly a bipartisan and a
nonpartisan office," that works with both Republicans and
Democrats, he said.
---
     Information about the ELCA's advocacy program is at
http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy/ on the Web.
     Information about Bread for the World is at
http://www.bread.org on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog