Tag: SPPO

By the Rev. Justin Eller, Assistant to the Bishop for Care and Community with the Southeastern Synod If advocacy means loving our neighbors and working for justice with the “least of these” (all who are hungry, thirsty, newly arriving, vulnerable, sick or imprisoned – Matthew 25:40) then advocacy can be both general and particular. The Southeastern Synod of the ELCA consists of congregations and faith communities across four states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Each state has their own unique particularities and priorities, state legislative session dates and rhythms, and contextual challenges and opportunities. Instead of being a single ELCA-affiliated…

Over the past year we have witnessed an increase in polarization, a rise in Christian nationalism, and a number of acts of political violence. In this spotlight from an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office (sppo), Tammy Walhof, Director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Minnesota, and Jacob Summerville, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow placed with this sppo, discuss some ways Minnesotans are working to build bridges and encourage civil discourse.   Hope and Challenge Addressing Political Violence By Tammy Walhof, Director, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota and Jacob Summerville, Hunger Advocacy Fellow POLITICAL VIOLENCE | GRACEFUL CONVERSATIONS | RESOURCE COLLECTION | MEDIA LITERACY | CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM |…

By Deacon Nick Bates, Director, Hunger Network in Ohio In a given week, most of us don’t think about all the effects different public investments and state budget policies have on our daily life. Think about your standard Sunday. You probably drive on roads and highways, and maybe you drive past a park and fire station. Does your congregation volunteer at a food pantry or shelter that day? Maybe you’ll run some errands and stop in at your local library or visit a loved one at an assisted living center. That evening, if you’re a parent you may help kids…

“We said at the beginning of the 2025 Kansas legislative session that we were expecting to bear witness more than passing or stopping particular legislation, and so it turned out,” said Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director of Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) in the ELCA-affiliated state public policy office network. This month’s SPPO Spotlight Series entry is a look at some of the ways KIFA bears witness through advocacy. KIFA works with the ELCA Central States Synod and is a strategic partner of the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC), the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, and the Mercy…

By the Rev. Erin Jones, Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania A deep exploration of the signs and dangers of Christian nationalism, and ways we as disciples of Jesus are called to confront and counter those forces, took place on March 7-8, 2025, co-hosted by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa), an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office (SPPO). LAMPa was delighted to co-host “Hope in a Divided World: A Faithful Response to Christian Nationalism” alongside Kindling Faith at United Lutheran Seminary at the Gettysburg Campus with nationally renowned scholars and speakers such as Dr. Lori Brandt…

By Solveig Muus, Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona  Lately I’ve been thinking about the many ways our Church intersects across so many different channels, and about how that intentional intersectionality benefits the whole. ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices (sppos), like Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), are one of those channels. I’m privileged to serve on the planning teams for this year’s sppo retreat as well as the ELCA World Hunger Leaders Gathering. In these settings and others, I’ve heard Christians in the ELCA passionate about the ways in which we, as Lutherans, connect people to create possibilities. Below is just…