October 6, 2010

CHICAGO – The European American Lutheran Association (EALA) will hold its first biennial meeting Oct. 28-30 at the Wyndham Milwaukee Hotel and Conference Center, Milwaukee. The EALA is the newest and one of six ethnic associations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

"The purpose of the EALA is to dismantle racism, white privilege and white power by recognizing and confessing our individual and corporate sin and addressing institutional racism in the church," said Kathy B. Long, EALA president, Redmond, Wash. "We want to walk with our brothers and sisters of color together."

Long was elected president during the EALA's constituting convention on Nov. 1, 2008.

"Because white privilege is so insidious, we as the EALA need to spend time together on such common ground and continue to caucus and learn how to notice our privilege and how it affects all of us," said Long. She said about 50 to 60 people are expected to attend the meeting.

Dr. Allan G. Johnson will deliver a keynote presentation on the issues of privilege, oppression and social inequality. Johnson is the author of the books, "The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy" and "Privilege, Power and Difference."

The ELCA Church Council affirmed the EALA's creation as the church's sixth ethnic association in November 2006.

The ELCA's ethnic associations gather once every two years to conduct business, elect leaders, share stories and more. Each association is individual in design, due to the unique needs of the communities.

The ELCA's ethnic associations are the EALA, African American Lutheran Association, American Indian and Alaska Native Lutheran Association, Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage, Association of Asian and Pacific Islanders, and the Latino Lutheran Association.

Information about the ELCA's ethnic associations is at http://www.ELCA.org/Growing-In-Faith/Ministry/Multicultural-Ministries/Ethnic-Associations.aspx, on the church's website.

ELCA News Service