ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 12, 2008  

Women of the ELCA Gathering Welcomes International Guests
08-116-JB

     SALT LAKE CITY (ELCA) -- A number of international guests
attended the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) Seventh Triennial Gathering here July 10-13, sharing
stories of their faith, their joys and concerns, and their
everyday lives.
     The gathering theme, "Come to the Waters," focuses on the
celebration of Baptism through Bible study, speakers, workshops,
community service and worship.  The event is being held at the
Salt Palace Convention Center.
     War, conflict and violence are the "complexity of my
context," said Suad Younan,  Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), regional director for women's
ministries, Lutheran World Federation, and director, Helen Keller
Center for the Visually Impaired, Jerusalem.  "It's very
political, and it's biblical," she said, adding that there is
conflict over increased control of limited resources, including
farm land and water.
     Christians make up only 2 percent of the population in the
region, Younan said.  Jews are the largest group, followed by
Muslims, she said.
     Women and children are victimized by the ongoing Middle East
conflict, she said, noting that access to schools, health care
and church services are hindered by the Israeli separation wall.
"Where I work, where I live, we are surrounded by the wall,"
Younan said.  Women have additional pressures because they must
manage the household often while their husbands are out of work.
      "Women play a crucial role to ensure the safety and
security of families in my country," she said.
     Younan thanked the ELCA for its companion synod program, in
which ELCA synods are paired with churches throughout the world
and exchange resources, support and prayer.  The ELCA New England
Synod and ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod are companion synods of
the ELCJHL.
     The Rev. Yuki Gotoh, Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church
(JELC), is the youngest woman serving as a JELC pastor.  The JELC
has 22,000 members.  Less than 1 percent of the Japanese
population is Christian, she said.
     Gotoh, whose parents are not Christian, said she became a
Christian when she was in high school, after an earthquake in
Japan killed thousands.  In the aftermath, she said, she began to
go to church and eventually decided to be baptized.
     "Our church hopes to be a healing place and a place to
promote relationships," she told a workshop audience.  The church
emphasizes social ministry, responding with a care center for
elderly people and youth projects, Gotoh said.  She also said the
church emphasizes education, operating a junior and senior high
school for girls, plus a high school and a fully accredited
college.  The ELCA South Carolina Synod is a companion synod of
the JELC.
     Education, health and poverty are key concerns for Kenyans,
said Margaret Obaga, Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) and
a doctoral student at Luther Seminary, an ELCA seminary in St.
Paul, Minn.  "Accessing water is a big problem," Obaga said.  "We
walk miles for 20 liters of water."
     Water is needed for drinking, cleaning, cooking and keeping
livestock, she said. Livestock often drink from water supplies
before women get access to it, Obaga said.
     Community and family are very important to Kenya's culture,
she said. "Community is first. Your identity revolves around
community.  The values of sharing, the values of appreciating one
another and loving one another, the value of networking for
families -- these are very powerful."
     The KELC operates the Pangani Lutheran Children's Center
(PLCC) which takes young girls off the street and provides them
with food, health care, stronger family connections and, for
orphans, housing, Obaga said.  Operated in Nairobi, PLCC serves
85 girls, she said.  The ELCA Allegheny Synod is the KELC's
companion synod.
     Rose Kidabing, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New
Guinea, volunteers her time to coordinate the church's women's
program.  She visits women in remotes areas of Papua New Guinea,
teaching them a variety of skills.  Government services often
don't reach into remote areas, she said.
     Literacy is a significant concern, Kidabing said, adding
that the ELCA Virginia Synod, companion synod of the church,
supports a literacy program in Kidabing's district.
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     Information about the Women of the ELCA Seventh Triennial
Gathering is at http://womenoftheELCA.org/tg08/ on the Web.

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