April 19, 2007

CHICAGO – The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) assigned responsibility for its ongoing antiracism and antisexism education and training to its Board Development Committee. In November the council voted to begin planning "for its continuous education, reflection and training on the issue of sexism, just as the Church Council has committed itself to continuous education, reflection and training on the issue of racism."

The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council met here April 14-16. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is here Aug. 6-11.

Four members of the council served on an antiracism planning team that brought several short-term and long-term recommendations to the council. The council's executive committee recommended and the council agreed that the council's Board Development Committee be assigned "responsibility for continuing antiracism training in relation to the Church Council."

One of the short-term recommendations was to use "racial justice monitors at all council meetings as a mechanism for accountability." The council agreed "to affirm the possibility of engagement of a racial justice monitor or monitors at future meetings of the Church Council to provide observations on the process of deliberations of the council."

The council discussed the possible responsibilities of such monitors.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, gave the example of the ELCA New England Synod, which uses two monitors who speak at the end of each council meeting. A monitor is "not a judge that sits and issues a verdict," he said, but a "mirror" who could raise "provocative questions" about the role white privilege may have played in the context of the meeting.

Dr. Allan E. Thomas, council member, Yeadon, Pa., said one or two council members could be trained to serve as monitors for the council.

Judy Biffle, council member, Houston, pointed out that the council was giving its Board Development Committee the option of engaging racial justice monitors.

Gary L. Wipperman, council member, Waverly, Iowa, suggested monitors may also be considered to be mirrors for the council "on matters of sexism or how effective we are on a whole."

Grieg L. Anderson, council member, Portland, Ore., raised the concern that, "unless we're careful, this will have a stifling effect on a full and healthy debate on a number of issues, simply out of the fear of having it misconstrued in some way." He added, "I suggest that people have a real care as we craft this so that it's a constructive mirror instead of one that's viewed as stifling different views and different reflections."

In a separate action the council assigned the Board Development Committee, in consultation with the ELCA director for justice for women, similar responsibilities related to the issue of sexism.

The council asked the Board Development Committee to coordinate planning for the council's retreat in July 2008 on the topic of "scandalous realities," which was a reference to a commitment related to the strategic directions of the ELCA churchwide organization: "confront the scandalous realities of racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, age, gender, familial, sexual, physical, personal and class barriers that often manifest themselves in exclusion, poverty, hunger and violence."

ELCA News Service