ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 21, 2008  

ELCA Synod Bishop Joins Minnesota Governor in ONE Campaign Declaration
08-146-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) declared Minnesota a
"ONE State," joining the ONE campaign against global poverty and
disease by signing a pledge in a ceremony Aug. 20 in St. Paul.
The Rev. Peter Rogness, bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) Saint Paul Area Synod, joined Pawlenty, U.S. Sen.
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and other Minnesota leaders at the
ceremony.
     The ONE Campaign is a grassroots effort to motivate people
to fight HIV and AIDs and extreme poverty.  The campaign seeks an
additional 1 percent of the U.S. budget to address global
poverty, debt relief for the world's most impoverished countries
and fair international trade rules.
     Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and St. Paul Mayor Chris
Coleman also signed declarations earlier in the week making their
respective cities official "ONE Cities."
     "Today the Lutheran Church and others of faith and
conscience in Minnesota and throughout the country are uniting to
speak with one voice to urge ongoing U.S. leadership in the fight
against global poverty and deadly disease," Rogness said. "It is
because of the generosity of the American people that Lutheran
ministries in Tanzania and Nigeria are able to provide life-
saving treatment and care to our brothers and sisters infected
with HIV and AIDS. Lives are saved. Hope is reclaimed."  Rogness,
who introduced Pawlenty, is chair of the ELCA Conference of
Bishops' international poverty and conflict special interest
group.
     "This campaign reflects the very best of what Minnesotans
are all about: being good neighbors and helping those who are
less fortunate than us," Pawlenty said. "The fight against global
disease and extreme poverty is not a Republican or Democratic or
Independent issue; it's an issue that brings us all together and
an issue that we all must work to address. Global poverty won't
be solved by government alone or faith-based organizations alone
or philanthropy alone or businesses alone. It takes all
organizations and people working together, doing their part and
urging others to get involved. That's what the ONE Campaign, and
being a ONE State, is all about."
     About a dozen states and some local governments have also
signed the pledge, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
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     Information about the ONE Campaign is at
http://www.ELCA.org/one on the ELCA Web site.

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