Bishop Curry Issues Pastoral Message for These Troubled Days
November 12, 2025 When I was installed as your presiding bishop, the preacher proclaimed that in times of division, disruption and fear, God calls us, through love, to lift up one another just as Christ lifts us up. I have taken that to heart and been alert to all the
What to Know About Recent SNAP Changes and How Communities Can Help
Millions of Pennsylvanians, including many of those in our congregations and served by our ministries, are facing greater food insecurity in the wake of recent changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- vulnerability amplified by the federal government shutdown and lack of a state budget. See how this
Lutherans add “Our Voices” to “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday
On Sunday, September 7 Lutherans marked the annual, denomination-wide day of service, "God's work. Our hands." Sunday. The day of service has been a staple of many congregations for the past twelve years. This year, several congregations across the Commonwealth engaged with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Pennsylvania to amplify their
ELCA Releases Statements on IRS Ruling
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a video message about the recent IRS ruling that suggests the agency may interpret the Johnson Amendment of 1954 in ways that would allow churches and other religious organizations to engage in partisan activity. Emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the Johnson Amendment, Eaton
Bishop Eaton Issues Statement on the Passage of the OBBBA
“Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.” —Galatians 6:10 Dear church, Today the U.S. Congress passed a budget package that will have a monumental impact on many in the country and on our ministries and
ELCA Responds to False Accusations on X
In a message to the church, ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton says that “despite misinformation and baseless doubt cast today on funding that supports Lutheran organizations across our country, the ELCA remains steadfast in our commitment and work with our many Lutheran partners and expressions of our church.” Watch the video
New SNAP College Eligibility Criteria
In February 2021 the USDA shared important updates regarding student eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), due to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This act temporarily expands SNAP eligibility to students in higher education enrolled at least part time. The new requirements now extend eligibility to students who: “are eligible to participate in state
Administration Releases New Guidance for Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The U.S. Department of the Treasury released guidelines and a new FAQ to help states and communities quickly distribute more than $25 billion in emergency rental assistance to renters in need. The revised FAQ directly addresses the significant flaws in the guidance issued by the previous administration. Pennsylvania's rental assistance program, whose
ELCA 2021 federal policy priorities for advocacy action
Posted on January 22, 2021 by ELCA Advocacy “With the start of the 117th Congress and a new administration, and as the devastating COVID-19 pandemic influences our lives and shapes our concerns, we face pressing need for national policy action. Yet even with changes, as Christians in the world our
Commonwealth and Nation Face Housing Crisis: ELCA Congregations Respond
"God heard the cry of a homeless people and delivered them out of oppression in Egypt. Jesus, "who [had] nowhere to lay his head" (Luke 9:58), ministered with compassion to the poor and vulnerable. In practicing hospitality, we are promised to encounter the living Lord: "I was a stranger
