Several conferences are holding hearings on the Draft Social Statement. Encourage members in your congregation to read the statement and send representatives to a hearing in your area. Attendees should bring their copy of the statement and be prepared to articulate comments and suggestions about the wording of the document.
| KALAMAZOO
Thursday, April 19, 6:30pm St Peter Lutheran Church 1079 Riverside Dr Battle Creek MI 49015 269-963-4170 |
TRAVERSE
Sunday, April 22, 2:00pm Advent Lutheran Church 8481 Lake Ann Rd Lake Ann MI 49650 231-275-8031 |
CAPITAL
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30pm St Paul Lutheran Church 3383 E Lake Lansing Rd East Lansing MI 48823 517-351-8541 |
BAY
Monday, May 14, 6:30pm Ascension Lutheran Church 8695 Gratiot Rd Saginaw MI 48609 989-781-2170 |
The task force published the study “Faith, Sexism, Justice: Conversations Toward a Social Statement” in 2016 to invite deliberation and response throughout the ELCA. Responses to that study have been tabulated and reported to the task force. Drawing from this learning and the feedback to the study, the task force has written the draft, and it represents its best thinking to date about these issues. This draft has unanimous support from the task force for discussion by our church although all task force members may not agree with all aspects of the content.
Hearings are not designed for interactive discussion, but they offer participants about an hour-and-a-half to share their comments on the text as it now stands. A task force representative is present at each hearing to listen to all comments; a synod recorder takes notes. The task force will receive reports from these hearings as part of the process for revising the draft for 2019.
For more information and to download a copy of the statement, visit: ELCA.org/womenandjustice