ITASCA, Ill. – The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is adding its voice to the growing group of faith leaders urgently calling for a permanent bilateral cease-fire in Gaza. We urge President Joe Biden, our legislators, and all who lead and make decisions on behalf of the United States to do everything in their power to bring an end to the current suffering and lay the foundation for lasting peace with justice.
As members of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, we are elected to lead one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. We are compelled to advocate, pray and act by the social teachings of our denomination and by our belief—rooted in Scripture—that all people are made in the image of God.
We mourn the loss of 1,200 precious lives in Israel on Oct. 7 by the actions of Hamas and the trauma for those 250 others who were taken hostage. We mourn the loss of over 30,000 precious lives in Gaza—including tens of thousands of women and children—who have died in Israel's military action since then and the trauma that ripples outward from this loss. We grieve the deaths of more than 400 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel since Oct. 7 as the circle of violence expands and makes casualties of yet more civilians.
Too many have suffered. Too many lives have been lost. Strong U.S. leadership is needed to help bring a comprehensive permanent cease-fire and lasting peace. Our country's leadership is needed to support human rights and the Geneva Conventions, to resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and to provide greater access for humanitarian relief in Gaza, as well as to advocate for the immediate and safe return of the hostages and release of political prisoners, for affirmation of both Israel and Palestine's right to exist, and for a path forward that disrupts cycles of violence. Mindful of the rise in hate targeted at people across complex intersections of race, ethnicity and religion—worldwide and nationally—we exhort our legislators, leaders and neighbors to oppose hate in all its forms, and we recommit ourselves to partnership in that same work.
Jesus taught: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). We affirm that all our neighbors, near and far, are children of God and made in God's image, and we are praying for President Biden, our legislators and all decision-makers. May God give us and our leaders everything necessary to meet the needs of this critical moment, particularly peacemaking.
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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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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.
CHICAGO — The Rev. Khader El-Yateem has been appointed executive director of the Service and Justice home area of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). El-Yateem will begin his service March 18.
"I am excited about Pastor El-Yateem bringing his relationship-building skills to the churchwide organization," said the Rev. Michael Burk, ELCA presiding bishop pro tempore. "Khader's love of Jesus is contagious and his commitment to sharing God's love for the world will enhance the good work already being done by the people he has been selected to lead."
El-Yateem has served as assistant to the bishop and director for evangelical mission with the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod since 2018. Prior to joining the synod staff, he served as pastor of Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., a congregation he started as a mission developer in 1995. El-Yateem also worked in patient relations at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn from 2010 to 2017, and was chief financial officer at Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, from 1990 to 1992.
"I am deeply moved by this new appointment to be the executive director of the Service and Justice home area," El-Yateem said. "My deep faith commitment is to help advance the mission of our church in making disciples and loving and serving our neighbor. We as the ELCA are uniquely positioned and called to make a difference in this broken world, both locally and globally. The Service and Justice team and I will embark on this journey together, trusting in the incredible gifts of the Holy Spirit that will guide our work and ministry. I seek your prayers as I take on this huge responsibility."
Born and raised in Bethlehem, El-Yateem received his Bachelor of Theology from Bethlehem Bible College in 1989 and his Bachelor of Theology and World Religions from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo in 1991. He received his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Seminary) in 1996. United is one of seven ELCA seminaries.
The former executive director for Service and Justice, the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, retired in April 2023. Tammy Jackson has served as the interim executive director since his retirement.
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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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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.
CHICAGO — The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles will feature A Time for Burning, a film of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The film will be shown Dec. 17 as part of the museum series "Works of Enduring Importance: 35 Years of the National Film Registry."
Produced by Lutheran Film Associates in 1966, A Time for Burning is a 58-minute, black-and-white cinema verite documentary that chronicles the struggle between the pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Omaha, Neb., and his all-white congregation as he encourages members to reach out to a neighboring Black church. Bill Jersey, one of the pioneers of cinema verite, and Barbara Connell directed the film, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
A Time for Burning was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005 and remastered in 2020 by the Academy Film Archive. It was re-released in 2023.
The film is streaming on The Criterion Channel.
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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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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.
Chicago – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) recently announced the Rev. Louise Johnson, Executive for Administration, has accepted the Executive for Vision, a new position in the churchwide organization.
Starting in January 2024, Johnson will lead a small team in a new effort that will emanate from the ELCA's vision, purpose, goal, and priorities, which call for the church to work together to share the difference God's grace and love in Christ make for all people and creation.
"The Spirit is alive and at work in our church, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed. But there are still so many who have not experienced the difference God's love in Christ makes," stated Johnson. "We are embarking on a journey with our church to discover new ways to tell the old, old story to a world longing to hear. I am grateful and humbled to lead this team as we listen for the leading of God, who is "about to do a new thing (Isaiah 43:19)."
The ELCA will welcome back the Rev. Dr. Wyvetta Bullock, as Interim Executive for Administration, beginning in January. Bullock was the Executive for Administration from 2007-2021 and served at the churchwide organization for more than 30 years. She currently serves as Associate to the Bishop in the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod.
"The churchwide organization continues to build teams and strategies that seek to foster and support our shared mission of proclaiming the good news of God's love in Christ. Inspired by a vision of the world being more and more aware that we are caught in the grip of this saving love, we are determined to be mutually supportive and increasingly innovative in the ways that we work together as faithful partners throughout the ELCA," said the Rev. Michael Burk, Presiding Bishop Pro Tem.
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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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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.
CHICAGO — The leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and The Episcopal Church (TEC) have released the Churches Beyond Borders 2023 Advent Cycle of Prayer.
The prayer resource calls for justice and peace, especially for churches impacted by the war in the Holy Land, and for lifting up Palestinian Christian communities and ministries and the congregations and institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
In a letterto accompany the Advent resource the leaders write, "We call, and pray for, an end to the war in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank. We call for a ceasefire, an end to violence in the West Bank and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza."
The church leaders contributed prayers for the four Sundays of Advent, focusing on the themes truth, justice, peace and hope.
View / Download the Churches Beyond Borders 2023 Advent Cycle of Prayer.
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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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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.
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