Faith-based advocates in Oregon are increasing access to affordable housing through a lesser-known advocacy action. Last year, the Coos-Curry Housing Authority opted into a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program that allows low-income renters to use housing vouchers for specific units or bedrooms within existing housing. Cora Rose, an attorney and an ELCA […]
“Faith-based advocacy has revealed to me the deep connection between our faith and the call to seek justice,” said Allison Lizdas, who recently concluded her service in the Southeastern Synod as assistant to the bishop for advocacy. “What inspires me most is how it empowers ordinary people of faith to address extraordinary challenges. “I’ve been […]
When a 7-year-old asked his parents (names withheld) if their neighbors were “bad people” because of the campaign signs in their yard, they did a double take. Then they tried something beyond a wordy explanation to share Jesus’ teaching on loving our neighbors. With seed money from a raffle held by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in […]
Honored for work that has provided a strong moral foundation and an enduring record of demonstrated influence on corporate policies, Patricia Zerega received the 2024 Legacy Award from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) on Sept. 19 at Riverside Church in New York City. The ELCA is a member of ICCR. “The breadth and […]
For two weeks in November, thousands of people from across the globe will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). One participant in this annual gathering will be Christine Moffett, ELCA Witness in Society program director for environment and energy […]
Earlier this year the ELCA bishops in Pennsylvania knew they needed to do something. Called to shepherd God’s people in a swing state during an already contentious election, all seven felt the deep responsibility to use their voices and authority to speak words of peace—to their pastors who are leading congregations with deep divisions, to […]
Congregations across the ELCA regularly engage with the question of what actions communities of faith should take in an election season. On election day in 2016, Edina (Minn.) Community Lutheran Church opened its sanctuary doors to anyone seeking a place to pray. After the 2020 presidential election, the congregation held a prayer vigil as a […]
Editor’s note: This post was written by Quentin Bernhard, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow. Racial justice initiatives through the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod and Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) are the first recipients of Jackie Maddox Racial Justice Advocacy Grants. Maddox, whose contributions to ELCA advocacy are recognized by the grant, served in the ELCA’s Washington, D.C., […]
In March a group of young Lutherans took time out of their spring break to visit their representatives in Washington, D.C. “Meeting with people in the offices of our elected officials put a personal face to government and made the possibility of change feel more accessible,” said Kamila Gutierrez, a member of Lutheran Campus Ministry […]
“If there is one thing that is truly global, it’s violence against women,” said Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Versailles, Ind. She made the remark at a panel discussion during the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) at the United Nations in March, as a member […]
