ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 5, 2008

ELCA Presiding Bishop Appeals to President-Elect Obama
08-183-JD

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
congratulated President-elect Barack Obama on his election and
appealed to him to establish priorities for his administration.
The presiding bishop wrote in a Nov. 5 public statement that
Scripture is clear about what should matter to Christians:
"hospitality to strangers, concern for people in poverty,
peacemaking and care for creation."
     In the statement, Hanson wrote, "I appeal to President-elect
Obama to establish the following priorities for his
administration:
+ a response to the current economic crisis with special focus on
low-income people
+ a robust diplomatic effort to restore U.S. credibility abroad
+ a fulfillment of the promised U.S. funding share of the
Millennium Development Goals
+ strong support for alternative energy research to end our
dependence on oil and establish a new green economy
+ fair and humane immigration reform
+ serious re-engagement with a peace process for Palestinians and
Israelis
     Hanson asked ELCA members to work with the new
administration across the "broad spectrum of Lutheran
partnerships and networks." Hanson encouraged public discourse
and engagement of the issues with members of the U.S. Congress
and the new administration.
     "We [ELCA members] bring to the public square a longstanding
and effective commitment to serve our neighbors and a conviction
that government is instrumental in God's purpose for humanity
when public officials work for justice, peace, order and the
common good," Hanson wrote.
     Hanson also expressed gratitude to U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-
Ariz.) for "his continuing commitment to public service" and
commended both Obama and McCain for "participating in our
nation's democratic process, which serves our venerable tradition
of the peaceful transfer of power."
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     The full text of Presiding Bishop Hanson's statement is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bishopstatement on the ELCA Web site.

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