Rabbi David Sandmel, director of interfaith affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, and Sayyid Syeed, national director of the Islamic Society of North America’s Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances, gave interfaith greetings to the assembly. “As a young church, we have come of age in a time of rapid religious change. In the midst of such diversity, the role of the church is to build bridges,” said Eaton in her welcome to Sandmel and Syeed.
Interfaith, global leaders bring greetings to assembly O
f the many visitors to bring greetings to the Churchwide Assembly, arguably the most
poignant came from Rabbi David Sandmel, director of interfaith affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, and Sayyid Syeed, national director of the Islamic Society of North America’s Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances. They spoke of our common ground as people of faith to work together for the common good. “All of us who are people of faith, who are proud
to identify with a particular tradition, must stand together to speak out, to act, and to protect those at home and around the world who suffer because of their religious identity,” Sandmel said. “This is one of the great challenges of our generation, one that we can only address together.” Syeed said, “We have a saying of the Prophet,
he says that a believer should evaluate whether his today is better than yesterday, whether his tomorrow is better than today. If that is my principle as an individual, this should be my principle for my whole family. This should be principle for my whole community. This should be principle for my whole nation. I want this nation to move forward.” Both leaders received a standing ovation. Several international visitors were also
present, including Medardo Gómez, bishop of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church. He spoke of the migrant crisis facing El Salvador and implored the assembly to approve AMMPARO strategy (page 18).
“Sisters and brothers, in the name of God, and
in the name of my suffering people, I say to you— forced migration has become a humanitarian crisis that exceeds our capacity to respond,” he said. “I declare to all of you: We need your help. We need your help welcoming our people into your congregations, accompanying them to hearings in immigration court, and interceding for them with U.S. government authorities.”
More greetings to the assembly will be posted soon at
LivingLutheran.org.
Triennium budget approved Voting 896-23, the Churchwide Assembly
approved a 2017-2019 budget. The 2017 current fund spending budget totals $90,096,005, which includes $65,296,005 for operations, including units and programs, and $24,800,000 for ELCA World Hunger. The following two years’ budgets differ only
slightly. The income proposal for 2018 totals $89,057,220 and includes $25 million for ELCA World Hunger, and the 2019 income proposal totals $89,151,175 and includes $25 million for ELCA World Hunger.
LIVINGLUTHERAN.ORG 21
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