"Listen, God is calling": a report of the Triennial Convention of Women of ELCA.

Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Triennial Gathering met from July 8-14, in Pennsylvania. The organization's three-year theme, "Listen, God is Calling," drawn from Ephesians 4:11-12 unfolded at the convention amid Bible studies, keynote addresses, field trips, business sessions and elections. About 3,200 women from across the United States and around the world participated.

In her sermon, Bishop Payne remarked that the theme speaks of how God gives different gifts to people to equip them for ministry to build the body of Christ. It is a challenge for each woman to believe she has gifts for ministry, and it is a challenge to allow God to use those gifts. She said, "We can't be obedient to God's will in our lives until we see ourselves as the gifted people. This is a room full of gifted women and God is itching to put you to work." She further added that using gifts for ministry will put each person "on a journey of self-discovery that will shape us into the best we can be ... The truth is that each of us have the potential to be shaped in a variety of ways--angels of mercy, warriors for justice, teachers, preachers and mentors."

More than 30 workshops were offered to explore the theme further. Participants chose from workshops that followed three tracks: "Hear God's Call," "Respond to God's Call" and "Recognize Your Gifts and Enhance Your Skills." Workshop topics ranged from human sexuality and the church, to the crisis in the Middle East. Four all-day seminars were held on "Global Education and Advocacy," "Leadership Training Follow-Up," "Perspectives of the Differently Abled" and "Organizational Self-Assessment."

A key component of the gathering was the "Convention Without Walls"--opportunities for women to move beyond the convention center into the surrounding Philadelphia community. The experiences were intended to help participants understand, in depth, the variety of ways in which people and organizations [of the] area respond to God's call through direct service, empowerment or working for systematic change.

Fourteen Lutheran women from Brazil, Egypt, Estonia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Palestine, Sudan and Tanzania traveled from their homes to attend the gathering to emphasize that they are part of a communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition comprised of 136 member churches spread in 75 countries representing more than 60.5 million of the 64.3 million Lutherans worldwide. "The value of inviting Lutheran women from around the world to the Triennial Gathering is to provide women here with a sense that they are part of a global community ... It is also an educational opportunity to learn the issues and Struggles women from around the world face. We are sisters together in building up the body of Christ," said Doris Strieter, program director, global education and advocacy of Women of the ELCA.

The Rev. Bonnie Jensen, executive director, ELCA Division for Global Mission, emphasized this connectedness in the following way:

"The church of Jesus Christ has provided a sacred space for our stories of faith and healing, and the church of Jesus Christ has provided a sacred space for international encounters ... We are a global company of women found in Jesus, walking together and finding each other in this sacred space provided by Jesus. We each have gifts to bring to the mission of life. We have education, expertise and know-how and more resources than we have the right to have. And, our global sisters have creativity and ideas, ingenuity and hospitality, commitment to prayer that would be surprising to all of us. These are gifts we need. And together, we have gifts that the world needs," "she told the gathering. "Listen, God is calling us to join a global company of women. Step forward to this table, to be nourished by the gift of encouragement, boldness and evangelical defiance. Step forward into this space, you may find it's quite a dance."

Dr. Pauline Riak, executive director for the Sudanese Women Association of Nairobi (SWAN), and one of the international invitees delivered a keynote presentation.

"I am honored to be here and I thank the women of the ELCA and Lutheran World Federation for affording me this opportunity to be with you. I am privileged. I see in you a diversity," Riak told participants. "There is a large number of younger women, people of different color and people who are my age. I am a woman and I am happy to be a woman. I am a mother of eight with one husband," she said.

"I live in Sudan, and I work in a war-torn country. My home is bombed on a regular basis," Riak told participants. While condoling the event of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, she remarked, "For you that was an extremely sad day. For us in Sudan, that is an every day occurrence." Sudan is one of the most impoverished countries in the world and the "site of one of the longest-running wars."

"There are no Lutheran churches in the Sudan. But, the relationship between the women of Sudan and the Lutheran women of America is growing. We know about you, but you may not know about us. You have assisted us in ways that you may not know," Riak said. "With your assistance, we have a lot of moral support: There are several of you in this congregation who have visited SWAN members. The money you send to us is important, but what is more important to us is the human relationships that exist." Riak also informed that SWAN will become an "economically self-sufficient" organization. "With hard planning, we know we can do it. We are women. We have promised ourselves that none of our children will die from hunger. We're also committed that no Sudanese women should die, or become ill or have a problem that cannot be looked at by a sister. It is our responsibility to work for peace in Sudan."

Riak congratulated ELCA women on being "holistic" in their "approach to pull out the women of color" in congregations. "If you were not be able to do that, you would not be able to speak to the African continent or three-fourths of the world who are people of color. That is important if you are entrusted in lasting partnerships not only in giving donations, but more importantly, in being able to know others," Riak said.

The delegates agreed to continue a global education and advocacy program, sponsored by the Women of the ELCA and ELCA Division for Global Mission. The program addresses "issues faced by women around the world" and "advocates for justice and empowerment for women," according to a resolution delegates adopted. The resolution encouraged synodical women's organizations to financially support global communities and to support them in prayer.

An organizational self-assessment indicated that special Women of the ELCA units were formed with the help of existing units in congregations, the creation of an anti-racism network, Women and Children Living in Poverty ministries, a special program to invite younger women to become active in the organization.

Linda Post Bushkofsky assumed the role as Women of the ELCA executive director from August succeeding Catherine I.H. Braasch, who is preparing to enter the ordained ministry. Mary Ellen Kiesner, was elected to serve a three-year term as president of Women of the ELCA.

Resolutions that ask for specific actions by the Churchwide women's organization--from synodical women's organizations and individuals include:

* Designating a Sunday "to bring sexual exploitation of women and children into the light by focusing media attention and educating congregations about the sex industry." The event is scheduled to be called "Day Full of Light." Women of the ELCA will distribute materials for study.

* A vote to urge Lutherans to advocate for a "just" reauthorization of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the federal welfare program. The resolution, adopted overwhelmingly, urged participants to write to their senators and ask them to oppose any amendments that would increase work requirements, remove the option for states to provide benefits to legal immigrants, narrow the list of activities denied as work, and mandate full family sanctions.

* A resolve to encourage individuals, households and congregations of the ELCA to "reduce personal, household and workplace consumption of water and other non-renewable resources by 10 percent." The resolution also encouraged women to study biblical, theological and practical issues related to stewardship of water.

* An action to encourage congregational units to pray for their youth "that they may grow in faith and have healthy, safe lives."

* A vote to authorize the executive director of Women of the ELCA to "lodge a protest in the strongest possible terms" to the U.S. government over its decision to deny a woman from Tanzania entry into the United States. Mary Laiser, secretary of the Women's Desk in the Arusha Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, was scheduled to be a presenter and assisting minister for worship at the Triennial Gathering, but was sent back home July 9 by U.S. immigration officials after she arrived in Detroit from Amsterdam on her way to the gathering. Immigration officials detained her because her visa extended beyond the expiration date of her passport.

Prior to the event, women of color of ELCA gathered to discuss the theme "Way-making women: A way of Unity from July 8-10, bringing about 400 African American and Black, American Indian and Alaskan Natives, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Latina, Middle Eastern and Arab, and European American women to celebrate culture and pave way for unity. The way-making experience is based on Exodus, the story of Moses and Miriam. Even at the beginning of Exodus, God was at work with women making way for God's plan for the people of Israel--the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah, Jochebed, a Levite woman, and a little girl named Miriam. The question, "What do you have in your hand?" usually associated with Moses, was asked of all of these "way-making" women as God's way of helping the hearer recognize the resources and trust in God needed for the mission God called them to ... "for such a time as this."

About 150 young women also gathered to curl and braid hair, and apply body glitter and tattoos while discussing some of life's tough issues like depression and anxiety, preventing sexual exploitation and the role of motherhood at "Young Women Seeing Visions" from July 8-14. Planned by "young women for women" and others who support young women's ministries, `Young Women Seeing Visions' was a special track at the Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering. Women shared ideas in a process called "Open Space Technology," which involved creating topics for discussion and assembling in small groups to discuss until a "natural conclusion is reached." The outcome of the discussions will be consolidated to form a "report or resource" for Women of the ELCA. "We hope that the report or resource will be helpful to the women's organization. We want members of the organization to understand what is on the hearts and minds of young women," Ortega said. Girl Room participants engaged in activities that included applying a semi-permanent henna tattoo and storytelling. "The purpose of the Girl Room is for participants to understand that women need women in the most basic human ways of caring for one another. So many traditions and rituals, such as adoration, storytelling and the decoration of our bodies, have been lost throughout the years," said Ortega. We hope to revive some of those rituals here, she said.

Excerpts from the Women of ELCA Triennial Gathering 2002 news: www.elca.org.