Highlights of an Extraordinary Year
In a year of uncertainty in government and politics, in climate, war and the global economy, and perhaps in the ways we view church together, we highlight a few of the many reasons to be encouraged about our synod’s engagement in Lutheran advocacy.
Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network – With the unanimous approval of our Hunger Team’s Synod Resolution at synod assembly in June 2023, the group received its green-light to proceed with “Encouraging congregations to support local hunger ministries, increase awareness of hunger and poverty issues, and increase opportunities to financially support the work of ELCA World Hunger.” The network meets monthly to learn about churchwide efforts and local hunger ministries, and to encourage one another. Speakers included Jolie Amaya, Feed AZ Students; The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop, ELCA; Rev. Katie Sexton-Wood, Executive Director, Arizona Faith Network; Michael Scott, Grand Canyon Food Pantry; Regina Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy CA; Rev. Matthew Zemanick, Lutheran Disaster Response Initiatives; M.J. Simpson, William E. Morris Institute for Justice; Dr. Peter McLellan, ELCA World Hunger; Ashley St. Thomas, Arizona Food Bank Network; Rev. Dr. Haemin Lee, ELCA World Hunger; Lauren Smith, Director of Education and Networks, ELCA; Zach Schmidt, Bread for the World, and many more.
Highlights of the GCS Hunger Leaders Network year include:
The GCS Hunger Leaders Network passed a Resolution at the synod assembly in 2023
The GCS team created the 40-40-40 Lenten Challenge, in which 717 Individuals from Region 2 – 417 from the GCS alone – from 148 congregations came together to raise more than $56,000 for ELCA World Hunger. The Grand Canyon Synod won!
77 hunger leaders from the Grand Canyon Synod participate in the GCS Hunger Leaders Network. Our goal: One Hunger Leader from every congregation in the synod.
LAMA received a Manna Grant in the amount of $10,000 through a legacy gift from Ascension Lutheran Church to work towards an end to hunger by addressing root causes.
Melanie Hobden, Autumn Byars and Solveig Muus attended the ELCA Hunger Leaders Gathering in Houston in February, and all led workshops for participants.
Created a database of the hunger ministries and partnerships by congregation in the GCS
LAMA Liaison Roundtable – These congregational liaisons meet monthly via Zoom for education, conversation, encouragement, and a deep dive into the social issues of the day. Topics included Christian Nationalism; Culture Wars; a preview of the Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest Advocacy 101 Toolkit; Issue Messaging (how to frame talking points to get the best result); the war in the Middle East; Faith-rooted social transformation (how advocacy intersects with activism and protest, particularly for Lutherans); Affordable Housing; Voting in America; Reproductive Rights; Immigration and more… always using a faith-based, often specifically Lutheran lens, with social teachings, pastoral letters, real congregational experiences, and current events in mind. Our goal: One LAMA Liaison from every congregation in Arizona.
Lutheran Day at the Legislature – LAMA hosted its 3rd annual Lutheran Day at the Legislature on January 18. 125 Lutherans and friends representing 24 of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts gathered to hear remarks from Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s longest-serving Senator, Lela Alston, Bishop Deborah Hutterer and more, and then met with their legislators about hunger, the water crisis, equal access to voting, and the need for low-income housing. Participants met with more than 40 lawmakers, practicing neighbor love through advocacy and demonstrating that faith is an action word.
2024 Anti-Hunger Advocacy Day – LAMA co-hosted its 2nd annual Anti-Hunger Advocacy Day at the Capitol on February 21. LAMA co-founded the Arizona Anti-Hunger Alliance, a statewide coalition of food banks, farmers, healthy school meals advocates, community gardeners, justice advocates, state agencies and faith-based organizations who share common values – ending hunger! – to educate our legislators and advocate for the more than 750,000 Arizonans who face hunger every day. The Arizona Anti-Hunger Alliance received a $7,500 grant from ELCA World Hunger.
Congregational Engagement – In addition to the 2023 LAMA Summit, the annual educational summit which this year focused on Advocacy as a Spiritual Practice, LAMA was invited to share news and information about LAMA with 11 congregations across Arizona.
Direct Advocacy – In addition to our work in congregational engagement and coalition building, we are called to build bridges and create possibilities with our Arizona state legislators. In addition to Lutheran Day at the Legislature and Anti-Hunger Advocacy Day, we participated in the following:
During August Recess, Solveig met with Congressman David Schweikert, AZ-01 – August 2023
Together with coalition partners, Bishop Deborah Hutterer championed affordable housing legislation and HB2815, the “Yes In God’s Back Yard” (YIGBY) Bill – February 2024
Autumn Byars testified before the Health and Human Services Committee against HB2505, a proposed bill that would negatively impact SNAP recipients – March 2024
Solveig and Autumn worked the polls for the Presidential Primary Election – March 2024
Autumn opposed HCR2060 with coalition partners from Arizona Faith Network, at which Senator Anna Hernandez read a letter from a Lutheran constituent on the senate floor – May 2024
LAMA Recording – LAMA created a 4.5-minute introductory video titled Loving Our Neighbor: Striving for Justice and Peace through Advocacy.
Hunger Advocacy Fellow – Autumn Byars has been an extraordinary gift to LAMA and to the synod this year. Autumn has brought a passionate, smart, young adult’s perspective to her work in congregational- and churchwide engagement. This ELCA World Hunger-sponsored fellowship has meant more stories, more workshops and action alerts, more visits to the Capitol, and a deeper, broader understanding of important legislation, and improved LAMA’s connections with the synod immeasurably. Among many other things, Autumn wrote a devotional for ELCA churchwide titled Disruptive Compassion; Autumn was interviewed by Telemundo Arizona on harmful SNAP bills; and created a 4-part series on for young adults titled, Young Voices in the Public Sphere: A Call Towards Election Engagement. The fellowship term is September 2023-August 2024.
This report was prepared for the Grand Canyon Synod Assembly in June 2024.