mitment to finding peace, justice and reconciliation.” The resolution also affirms the path of nonviolent resistance to oppression, and directs appropriate churchwide units to review how investment funds are managed in relation to international human rights and international law. • Asked the ELCA to make positive economic investments in Palestinian projects and businesses that peace- fully strengthen the economic and social fabric of Palestinian society. • Urged the synod to provide resources to raise awareness of sexual harassment/sexual abuse and bullying.
Minneapolis Area, May 7, Eden Prairie, Minn. • Asked the 2011 Churchwide Assembly to encourage, support and publicize new ministry partnerships that address prevention of bullying, harassment and related forms of vio- lence around issues of “sexual orien- tation, nonconforming gender behav- iors [and] appearance (e.g., body size and disability).” • Requested that the 2011 Churchwide Assembly call upon the ELCA Office of the Presid- ing Bishop and the Church Council to ask the U.S. government to inves- tigate FBI raids and subpoenas “tar- geting domestic peace and anti-war groups ... for constitutional legality in order to ensure that the legitimate right to dissent from the policies of our government remains guaranteed to all citizens.”
Rocky Mountain, May 12-14, Colorado Springs, Colo. • Urged congregations to support active and retired military personnel and their families. • Asked its congregations to read and discuss the Kairos Palestine document and seek ways to achieve a deeper under- standing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. • Called on the church to speak and act to prevent bullying, harassment and related violence.
DALE HORKEY
The First Lutheran Church youth bell choir from Colorado Springs, Colo., plays postlude music at the closing eucharist of the Rocky Mountain Synod assembly.
Northern Great Lakes, May 12-14, Mar- quette, Mich. • Defeated resolutions calling for the exclusive use of “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” as the Triune name of God in all synod worship services, as well as that the synod “ensure and reaffirm that the congregations of this synod stand by their own bound consciences” in call- ing pastors and performing mission work. • Approved an anti-bullying resolution and referred for continued discussion a resolution calling the synod to be “a place of welcome for traditional Lutherans and traditional pastors” opposed to the 2009 Church- wide Assembly sexuality decisions.
Southwestern Washington, May 13-14, Grand Mound, Wash. • Asked its con- gregations to: renew and revitalize their attention to hunger issues in the world and their communities, to appoint a member as the congrega- tion’s hunger awareness contact, to support congregational initiatives that combat hunger and to help grow awareness of the need for gifts to ELCA World Hunger. • Challenged its congregations to set a three-year fundraising goal toward the ELCA Strategy on HIV/AIDS; asked the synod’s hunger committee to support congregations’ fundraising efforts
with educational, worship, and other resources and speakers. • Resolved to continue to develop and promote a “1,000 Mission Friends” appeal to benefit mission starts and congrega- tional renewal “in one of the world’s great mission fields where most of our neighbors are unchurched.”
Metropolitan New York, May 13-14, Mel- ville, N.Y. • Asked the synod and ELCA to encourage, support and publicize new partnerships in ministry that emerge in addressing the prevention of bullying, harassment and related forms of violence. • Established a task force to help pastors and con- gregations identify youth and young adults of mature faith so that 10 per- cent of synod council, committees and task forces be made up of youth.
Southeast Michigan, May 13-14, Farm- ington, Mich. • Called for “a plan for mutual missional action” between the Southeast Michigan and North/ West Lower Michigan synods to be presented at their respective 2012 synod assemblies.
Northwest Washington, May 13-14, Lyn- nwood, Wash. • Adopted “A Vision for Evangelism in Northwest Washing- ton” and charged its evangelical out-
July 2011 35
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