July 10, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY – At a July 9 session of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), delegates adopted by a vote of 356-16 resolutions that focused on topics such as minimizing or eliminating the use of plastics, reducing the consumption of bottled water and raising awareness of mountaintop removal mining. The delegates adopted the memorials en bloc.

Women of the ELCA's Seventh Triennial Convention is being held through July 10 here at the Salt Palace Convention Center. More than 2,000 women are expected July 10-13 for the Seventh Triennial Gathering of Women of the ELCA. The event theme, "Come to the Waters," focuses on the celebration of Baptism through Bible study, speakers, community service and worship.

Delegates adopted a resolution stating members, "as good and faithful stewards of God's creations, act boldly on (their) faith in Jesus Christ by educating (themselves) on the safe recycling of plastic products and packaging." Women of the ELCA participants will advocate in their respective synods for "environmentally sensitive packaging" through letter writing and petitions, according to the convention action.

According to a committee report, "making bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually" and "the United States is the world's leading consumer of bottled water, with Americans drinking 26 billion liters in 2004." Convention delegates voted to adopt a resolution to encourage limited use of bottled water at Women of the ELCA churchwide and congregational functions, and participants are asked to raise awareness about health risks, economic wastefulness and environmental hazards that arise from use of bottled water.

A resolution to discourage mountaintop removal mining was also adopted by the convention. According to the action, Women of the ELCA will work to raise awareness of mountaintop removal mining, work with synods affected by it and advocate for change through affiliates. The organization will aim to provide aid to victims of flooding that has resulted from the mining.

A resolution to initiate contact with Lutheran Advocates for Maritime Ministries (LAMM) to develop methods to coordinate and integrate mutual programming to support domestic and global ministries" was defeated. According to a committee recommendation, "It would be beyond the scope of the strategic plan at this time to engage this particular ministry beyond the (ELCA's) connections that already exist."

Information about Women of the ELCA's Seventh Triennial Convention is at http://womenoftheELCA.org/tc08.html, on the Web.

ELCA News Service
Luke Tatge is a senior journalism major at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer he is an intern with the ELCA News Service.