ELCA Board Asks Council for Statement on Iraq

October 29, 2002

CHICAGO – The board for the Division for Global Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asked the ELCA Church Council to consider adopting a public statement for the church on the tense situation between the U.S. government and the government of Iraq headed by Saddam Hussein. The board met here Oct. 17-19.

In its resolution, the board also said it "affirms and supports ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson's statement, witness and leadership" on the issue. In an Aug. 30 statement, Hanson spoke publicly in support of peace and against a pre-emptive military strike against Iraq.

The board asked, if the council does adopt a public statement on Iraq, that it consider transmitting it to President George W. Bush, according to the resolution. It suggested that such a public statement be similar to the principles cited by Hanson, and that it incorporate principles contained in the ELCA social statement "For Peace in God's World" in support of international efforts for peace.

The board's resolution asked that the council "invite ELCA members, congregations and synods to pray for peace, the people of Iraq, leaders of the United States and our military personnel and their families."

The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide assemblies. The council's next meeting is here Nov. 15-17. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2001, in Indianapolis.

In a separate resolution, the board also asked the council to consider issues related to HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The board recommended to the Church Council that the ELCA "consider bringing to the attention of pharmaceutical companies in which the ELCA holds corporate shares the need for them to support national and international efforts to make generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs accessible to persons living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries." It asked that the council raise with government officials the need for U.S. policy to reflect such concerns, the resolution said.

The board asked that the council continue to request ELCA members to respond through the ELCA World Hunger Appeal to a variety of human needs in Africa, including drought and famine; it asked the council to "build better awareness of these issues throughout the ELCA; and it encouraged the council to request that "ecumenical bodies" in which the ELCA participates and their members take similar actions.

In other actions the DGM board:

• heard that the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, the fund-raising arm of the ELCA World Hunger program, has decreased its goal for 2002 to $16 million, said the Rev. John L. Halvorson, coordinator for the ELCA World Hunger Program, Division for Church in Society. The goal for 2002 was originally set at $16.5 million, but has fallen behind budget projections. Halvorson thanked key leaders and partners for their support of the program.

• elected the Rev. Virginia Anderson-Larson, director for spiritual formation and field education, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, secretary for the board. She replaced the Rev. Wilma S. Kucharek, who resigned this year when she was elected bishop of the ELCA Slovak Zion Synod. Anderson-Larson will serve the remainder of Kucharek's term. New board officers are to be elected in March.

• adopted a 2003 spending plan of $28,263,300 for the division.

• participated in the ELCA strategic planning process, led by the Rev. Charles S. Miller, ELCA executive for administration and executive assistant to the presiding bishop. The board also discussed a first draft of a possible evangelism strategy for the ELCA.

ELCA News Service