ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton Shares Earth Day Message
April 2020 Sin and captivity, manifest in threats to the environment, are not the last word. God addresses our predicament with gifts of ‘forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation’ (Luther, Small Catechism). By the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God frees us from our sin and captivity, and empowers
Message from Bishop Eaton Outlining the ELCA’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dear church, The last couple of weeks have been trying ones for everyone across this church. Our synods, congregations and ministries are facing challenges that they’ve never faced before. Being church together means more now than ever before. The churchwide office is launching a comprehensive Covid-19 response across the ELCA
Asian American Hate Crimes Outreach from the PA State Police
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in ways we could never have imagined. Lives are being lost, schools and businesses are closed, and our way of life has drastically changed. An additional consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic are the increasing volume of hate/bias crimes and incidents targeting members of
ELCA Presiding Bishop Extends Invitation to Join in the Lord’s Prayer
March 24, 2020 Dear Church, The Evangelical Lutheran Church America, as part of the body of Christ, is united with other Christians in our communities, in our country and around the world. This unity takes many forms, including prayer. I am writing to extend an invitation we have received from
Help To Support Migrants in Detention During COVID-19
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) recently launched "Hope Can't Be Quarantined: How To Support Migrants In Detention During This Time of Crisis". For our friends in immigration detention, the isolation that they experience has only been intensified by the authorities’ decision to indefinitely postpone visits from family, faith leaders
Congregational Resources & Bishop Eaton On COVID-19
With the outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States and around the world, congregations and houses of worship need to be well-informed and well-prepared. The following information offers guidance as we minister to and engage with each other, and within our communities, as the body of Christ.
Bishop Eaton Issues Pastoral Message On Iran
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The current crisis between the United States and Iran is worrisome for many of us in our church, in our nation and in the world. Our country and Iran need urgently to find ways to resolve
ELCA Bishop & Conference of Bishops Urge Release of Funds for East Jerusalem Hospitals
Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have issued a letter to President Trump urging the administration to restore funding to Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) and other hospitals in East Jerusalem. AVH is owned and operated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
UN Climate Action Summit 2019
Global emissions are reaching record levels and show no sign of peaking. The last four years were the four hottest on record, and winter temperatures in the Arctic have risen by 3°C since 1990. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are dying, and we are starting to see the life-threatening
ELCA Churchwide Assembly Adopts: Faith, Sexism, and Justice Social Statement
At the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, gathered in Milwaukee August 5-10, voting delegates adopted a social statement focused on sexism and gender justice: "We believe all people are created equally in the image of God. Every individual is dependent upon God, and all share in the God-given vocation to contribute
