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ELCA Church Council Resolution
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Stand With Africa: A Campaign of Hope
Background
In October 1999, the board
for ELCA Global Mission approved a resolution requesting that the staff
develop a strategy and plan to address the crisis in Africa. The staff members of ELCA Global Mission—in consultation with the World Relief staff of the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the staff of Lutheran World Relief—have developed
a joint three-year awareness and action effort, "Stand with Africa: A Campaign of
Hope."
This campaign will produce common educational and worship materials, provide advocacy
opportunities, increase resources available through the World Hunger appeal to work with
African churches and partner agencies, undergird coordination, and increase common
programming in Africa. The yearly emphases of the three-year campaign would be: (1)
HIV-AIDS crisis; (2) peacemaking; and (3) food security and achieving sustainable
development. The campaign is scheduled to begin in February 2001.
The goal of "Stand with Africa: Campaign of Hope" is to invite members and
congregations into a deeper companion relationship with African churches and African
partners through a variety of means. The inter-agency cooperative work would produce
common educational and worship materials, provide advocacy opportunities, increase the
ELCA World Hunger Appeal resources available to work with African churches and partner
agencies, and undergird coordination and increased common programming in Africa. The
"Stand with Africa" emphasis is a strategy within the ELCA World Hunger
Appeal’s efforts to increase financial resources in fulfillment of the 1999
Churchwide Assembly’s call to double the income to $25,000,000 for the year 2005.
The ELCA, LCMS World Relief, and Lutheran World Relief will develop an integrated
strategy for increasing available financial resources by (1) encouraging individual and
congregational giving to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal for Africa, (2) public media
fund-raising efforts by Lutheran World Relief, and (3) LWR’s campaign-associated
efforts to acquire additional government and private grants. This inter-Lutheran campaign
will be planned in close cooperation with other groups, including Bread for the World that
is planning a 2001 advocacy emphasis on Africa.
At its October 2000 meeting, the board for ELCA Global Mission voted
(GM00.10.13):
To express commitment to continue to
accompany companion churches and partner agencies in Africa especially as they address the
HIV-AIDS crisis, the projected increase in chronic hunger, and the need for reconciliation
and peace-making; and
To affirm the development of "Stand with Africa: A Campaign of Hope," a joint
ELCA-LCMS World Relief-Lutheran World Relief effort to raise awareness about Africa; to
encourage advocacy in support of Africa; and to make available additional funding to
enable coordinated and effective partnership activities in the three areas of HIV-AIDS
crisis, chronic hunger, and reconciliation and peacemaking.
The board of the Division for
Church in Society in September 2000 and the board of the Division for Congregational
Ministries in October 2000 approved the following resolution and referred it to the Church
Council for action.
Church Council
Action
Whereas, ELCA Global Mission at its October 1999 board meeting called on the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) to intensify efforts in the next decade to walk with companion
churches and partner agencies in Africa as they address the growing HIV-AIDS crisis, the
projected increase in chronic hunger and malnourishment in sub-Saharan Africa, and the
suffering caused by civil strife and war;
Whereas, the board of ELCA Global Mission called for the development of a
plan for addressing this situation;
Whereas, the 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
affirmed the doubling of giving to assist people in need throughout the world through the
ELCA World Hunger Appeal;
Whereas, the ELCA has a long history of partnership with companion churches and
partners in Africa, through which the gifts and strengths of the peoples of Africa and in
this church are expressed;
Whereas, these companion churches and partners in ministry have the potential to make
even more of a difference through health and prevention services, sustainable development
activities, and efforts to promote reconciliation and peacemaking;
Whereas, these companion churches and partners in ministry are requesting increased
help to be able to respond to the difficult situations in which they find themselves, and;
Whereas, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod’s World Relief and Lutheran World
Relief (the common agency of the LCMS and ELCA) have expressed interest in cooperating
with the ELCA’s World Hunger Appeal and Program in a common three-year emphasis to
raise awareness, encourage advocacy for Africa, and increase the funds available to
support new and expanded initiatives with companion churches and partner agencies;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
(1) express the ELCA’s commitment to continue to accompany companion churches and
partner agencies in Africa, especially as they address the HIV-AIDS crisis, the projected
increase in chronic hunger, and the need for reconciliation and peacemaking; and
(2) affirm the development of "Stand with Africa: A Campaign of Hope," a
joint ELCA World Hunger Appeal, LCMS World Relief, and Lutheran World Relief effort to
raise awareness about Africa, encourage advocacy in support of Africa, and make available
additional funding to enable coordinated and effective partnership activities in the three
areas of the HIV-AIDS crisis, chronic hunger, and reconciliation and peacemaking.
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