World Hunger Leadership Gathering Recap
By Melanie Hobden, co-chair of the Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network
Osiyo Tsunalii,
The World Hunger Leadership Gathering held August 25-28 in Chicago was a mountaintop experience where hunger champions gathered with other ELCA Networks and Global Missionaries to share stories, worship, service, and learning. How wonderful it was to join with the Indigenous Leaders Network on a tour of the Native Truths exhibit at the Field Museum, hosted by Debra Yepa-Pappan, Community Engagement Coordinator of The Field and Vance Blackfox, Director of Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations. At lunch in a classroom at the museum, we were all able to share stories and get a better understanding each other and the importance of land acknowledgement. As an elder, I got to get my food first and I found that really cool!
Uyaimose, tinamate Mwari, uyaimose Zvino! Worship for the hunger leaders started with an African call to worship that we didn’t need to be trained in, we all somehow knew the tune. How refreshing it was to be together again, singing, praying, confessing, and thanking. We then learned about the structure of the Service and Justice Unit at Churchwide.
Keynote for the Hunger Leaders was the Peace Queen, Melannie Denise Cunningham of Tacoma who was Peace Laureate in 2018 for her life-long work toward racial reconciliation. She stressed the importance of working in love. Cunningham won an Emmy for her documentary on her trip to Oslo to “be in the room” at the 2018 ceremony. She had the Emmy just sitting on her table, what a treat to see a real Emmy!
We learned so much stuff, like the next Hunger at the Crossroads series will be “Hunger and Conflict” in November, featuring Cambodia, the Middle East, and Ukraine followed by “Hunger and Health” in December. These two will join the already existing four videos in the series; Housing, Climate Change, Poverty, and Gender Justice which can be viewed on the ELCA website. We also learned PLTS has an impressive Center for Climate Justice and Faith which links so closely with our charge for a just world where all are fed.
Our Service-Learning Project on Friday took my group to Bethel Lutheran Church in West Garfield. There we heard from several voices in the community encouraging networking with all faiths and non-profits in the area to provide the needed services. We helped with many projects from Grounds, to the Community Garden, to bagging sack lunches and hygiene packets. How awesome it was to share the lunch meal, outside with the community.
So much more to say, Rev. Dr. Louise Johnson, Executive for Administration for the ELCA, talked about the alignment of the HR and Finance functions of Churchwide and shared the impressive goal to “share the story of Jesus with one million new, young, diverse leaders.” We are poised to grow in an era of decline, big challenge but we are up to it! Most importantly, Rev. Rafael Malpica- Padilla, Executive Director of the Service and Justice Unit added a new charge for us at World Hunger. Our programs are not only Transformative, Accompanying, and Integrated, but they also are now, as we all know, Liberating. And that’s how I feel after being together with such a passionate group of folks, liberated from the chains that have bound us for these past couple of years and ready to spring forth with new enthusiasm to create a just world where ALL are fed!
Wado,
Melanie Hobden
