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From Persecution To Witness
By Elizabeth Eaton,
Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
For many months now people have been asking for some kind of statement about the persecution of Christians around the world. It seems to be a straight-forward issue. Christians are suffering in Iraq and Syria, in Nigeria and Egypt. Palestinian Christians encounter intense pressure. Christians in some parts of India are threatened. Some would even claim that U.S. Christians are under siege. Atrocities committed against Christians by the Islamic State, Boko Haram, al-Shabab and others are regularly in the news. We hear that more Christians have been martyred in recent years than in the first three centuries of the Christian movement.
Each circumstance of violence against Christians is deeply painful. There are brothers and sisters around the world whose lives are part of the passion of Christ. People are targeted in some countries because they are Christians. But this is a complex issue. Are Christians suffering and dying as witnesses to the faith? Yes. But in many places interreligious conflict has been used as a calculated pretext for political gain. A narrative of religion vs. religion, or religion vs. society, is an effective way of generating support for one’s cause. And, regrettably, suspicion and fear of the “other” leads to intolerance and discrimination.
The persecution of Christians is not new. Martyrs have existed since the beginning of the
church. Stephen was martyred with the consent of Paul, who was martyred by the Roman
Empire. Paul quoted the psalms, writing: “For your sake we are being killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36).
Outrage is a natural reaction to beheadings and crucifixions. The instinct to strike back is understandable. Many Lutherans accept that in a broken world deadly force might be needed. Revenge, however, is not an option for a Christian.
I pray that none of you ever suffers violence for the faith, but every generation has faced hostility. German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “To endure the cross is not a tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.”
“Martyr” is a Greek word that means “witness,” “to give testimony.” A witness can also be a symbol that testifies a promised action has been accomplished. When we speak about the persecution of Christians, the real question is: “What will be our witness?”
Here is a story about how some Lutherans in Ethiopia answered that question. It happened in one of our companion synods. Some Muslims burned down a church, thinking they were attacking Roman Catholics. Instead, they burned down a Lutheran church by mistake. They were arrested and sent to jail. In that region it’s the responsibility of families to take care of prisoners’ hygiene and food. Instead, members of the Lutheran church asked authorities if they could dig the prisoners’ latrines and feed them. That was their witness in the face of persecution.
Christians aren’t the only ones being targeted and persecuted. More Muslims have reportedly been killed by the Islamic State than any other group. Our witness must be as peacemakers and as defenders of religious minorities in our country and around the world. We must be the ones who speak out when entire religions are falsely characterized by the actions of extremists. We would not accept Christianity being defined by the Ku Klux Klan or the Christian Identity movement. We should not define entire communities by the distortion of to their religion.
The cross is God’s visual symbol that a promised action has been accomplished. It is God’s stake in the sand. It is God’s witness to the truth that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).
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John Weit accepts call as assistant to the bishop, executive for Worship
CHICAGO — Deacon John Weit has accepted a call as assistant to the bishop, executive for worship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Weit has served in the role in an interim capacity since July 2019. "For Lutherans, worship stands at the center of our life of faith," said the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA. "John brings to this role a deep commitment to how worship and liturgy help us grow in our faith. His gifts of music and leadership will ensure that the worship life of this church will continue to be grounded in our Lutheran roots while also providing relevance for today's world." In his role as assistant to the bishop, executive for worship, Weit will oversee the work of the Worship team within the Office of the Presiding Bishop and provide leadership on the bishop's behalf in churchwide matters related to worship. This work includes developing and implementing strategies that support worship in synods, congregations and other local worship assemblies across the ELCA. He will oversee and participate in developing and reviewing worship resources intended for use throughout this church. Since 2016 Weit has served as ELCA program director for music in the Office of the Presiding Bishop. Prior to joining the ELCA churchwide organization, he served as cantor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Worcester, Mass., from 2009 to 2016 and at Christ Ascension Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pa., from 2008 to 2009. Weit earned a Bachelor of Science in electronic media, concomitant in music, from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2007. He earned a Master of Arts in religion with a concentration in liturgy and music from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 2009. The seminary became part of United Lutheran Seminary in 2017.
As part of his position with the ELCA, Weit works closely with the board of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. - - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
02/18/2020
ELCA presiding bishop issues statement on new travel ban
"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 19:33-34)
Dear Church, Last week, on the third anniversary of the original executive order, the administration extended the travel ban to the United States from seven majority Muslim countries to thirteen. The ban suspends the issuing of immigrant visas that can lead to permanent residency for those from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria, as well as visas available through a diversity lottery for applicants from Sudan and Tanzania. This announcement comes on the heels of several other rule changes restricting travel to the U.S. As Lutherans, these actions should concern us. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has set us free from ourselves to serve our neighbor. This expanded policy separates families from loved ones already here. Further, it prevents people – especially those escaping perilous or life-threatening situations in several of these nations – from coming to safety in the U.S. It does not enhance our safety or reflect our vocation as Christians. Our church has a strong history of hospitality for refugees and immigrants. After World War II, when one out of every six Lutherans in the world was a refugee or displaced person, Lutherans resettled some 57,000 refugees in the United States (ELCA social message on "Immigration"). Today, with more than 60 million displaced people in the world, we continue God's work of welcoming refugees through advocacy and our vital partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. The ELCA also has companion Lutheran churches in many of these countries that are, with us, member churches of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). (In several instances our church has developed strong partnerships with these churches over many decades.) The current president of the LWF, with whom I serve as a vice-president, is archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania is one of the world's fastest- growing Lutheran churches. Accompaniment of these ELCA partners requires our solidarity and advocacy with them. The expanded policy also reflects racial and religious discrimination. Over the past three years, the targeting of Muslims has had a direct and negative impact on our interfaith partners, who are harmed not only by the policy, but by the rhetoric surrounding it. Together with other Christians and Jews, we are standing with Muslims through the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign. We are inviting advocacy as a means for helping those affected now, while preventing discrimination in the future. This is one way of embodying our commitment to opposing "all forms of religious bigotry, violence, discrimination, and persecution and stand in solidarity with those who experience them, whether they are Christian or of another religion or worldview" ("A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment: A Policy Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America"). The travel ban and its extension do not promote our values of mutual respect of all God's children, each created in God's image. Furthermore, these bans contradict our church's and our nation's commitments to be a place of welcome and safety for others. Federal courts have recognized this already by blocking significant portions of the ban, finding them discriminatory, anti-Muslim or unconstitutional. The ELCA social statement "For Peace in God's World" reminds us that "the church is a disturbing presence when it refuses to be silent and instead speaks the truth." On this policy, we as Lutherans cannot be silent. The history of our church, the life-giving relationships we share with other Lutherans worldwide, and our commitments to and with inter-religious partners are the basis not only for our concern – but for our continued accompaniment, advocacy and action. In peace, The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
02/05/2020
ELCA expands efforts to increase inclusivity of outdoor ministry programs
CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has announced a new initiative entitled Total Inclusion!: Widening the Welcome at ELCA Outdoor Ministries. The new program is designed to equip and empower outdoor ministry organizations as they move toward more intentional welcome of people who historically have been marginalized in the church — especially people of color, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA+. Total Inclusion! is a collaborative effort between the ELCA churchwide organization and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), the association of camps and retreat centers affiliated with the ELCA. An inviting and welcoming church is one of the stated goals for the ELCA, expressed in its strategic document Future Directions 2025. Through the stated priorities of this goal, the ELCA will address discrimination and oppression by equipping and supporting church members to understand, speak out and act against discrimination based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and social status. "As is the case with so many ministry organizations of the ELCA, outdoor ministries have found it challenging to serve and be led by people who are often marginalized," said Don Johnson, executive director, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. "We expect that we will be making great strides in this regard during the next few years because of the Total Inclusion! initiative. The grant will provide the financial resources to actually do something about it, rather than simply dreaming about what we might do."
The Total Inclusion! initiative is divided into two phases: - The first phase, in 2020-2021, will focus on educational opportunities for outdoor ministry leadership that will provide a framework to understand the barriers to full participation in camp and church life, and develop a fundamental and common understanding of demonstrated best practices for welcoming and including all people.
- The second phase, in 2021-2022, will involve two cycles of a granting program for local initiatives that will provide financial resources to support organizations' strategic inclusion plans developed during the first phase. Two types of grants will be awarded: Leadership grants for ministries that have been leading the way in inclusive practices and want to expand their impact, and Widening the Welcome Grants, for ministries that look to take beginning steps toward inclusiveness and invitation.
"Camps and retreat centers have a knack for making people feel safe, welcomed and included," said Johnson. "In addition, the camps and retreat centers that are members of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries are committed to providing experiences that reflect the lessons Jesus taught us: 'Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.' Total Inclusion! will help all our ministries manifest the love of Jesus with all people, whether or not they have a prior connection with the ELCA." The program has been made possible by the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. More information about Total Inclusion! is available here. Questions about Total Inclusion! should be directed to: TotalInclusion@elca.org. - - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
02/04/2020
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