January 9, 2026

Learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17).

Alongside our siblings in Christ in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota and all who have been impacted by aggressive immigration enforcement and violence by federal law enforcement agents, I mourn the shocking shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Jan. 7, 2026. I join calls for a thorough investigation into this case, accountability for the shooting and a de-escalation of ICE enforcement across the United States. Alongside the Lutherans who have held vigils in Minneapolis and around the country, our church prays for God’s peace in this community and justice in this case.

The ELCA is committed to upholding and guaranteeing basic human rights for the safety of migrants and their families. Our church works toward just and humane policies affecting migrants in and outside the United States. We decry language that dehumanizes immigrants who are beloved children of God and escalates tensions between federal agents and communities. Surges of immigration enforcement and violent encounters like we are seeing in Minneapolis — as well as in Chicago; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Washington, D.C.— have indiscriminately targeted our neighbors, creating fear and uncertainty. This has created conditions where immigrants, those accompanying them and federal agents are all at risk.  

ELCA social teaching provides guidance in complex situations: “Public safety depends upon trust in law enforcement to respect and protect the rights of all” (“Gun-related Violence and Trauma”). As a church, we are concerned by the trend of law enforcement and federal agents involved in immigration enforcement relying on the use of force in our communities without sufficient accountability or oversight.  

God calls us to be witnesses to God’s presence, healing and hope. I invite ongoing prayers, vigils and advocacy for peace and justice, and I affirm the ELCA’s “pledge to continue our church’s historic leadership in caring for refugees and immigrants” (For Peace in God’s World).

In Christ,

The Rev. Yehiel Curry
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

The Rev. Yehiel Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will give the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote address at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, in the Center for Faith and Life (CFL) Main Hall on Luther College’s campus. The theme of the day and Curry’s talk is “Courage for the Common Good.”

The program begins with a community choir rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. in the CFL’s Recital Hall. Singers of all ages and backgrounds are invited to learn a simple gospel arrangement to be performed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote address. The community choir will be led by Andrew Last, director of choral activities at Luther. The performance will feature soloist Adrianna Tam, assistant professor of music and director of Luther’s Aurora and the Collegiate Chorale.  his keynote address, Curry will highlight how “Courage for the Common Good” represents the shared legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther, both of whom embodied the moral courage needed to confront injustice while uplifting the people around them. This theme calls our community into bold, brave, benevolent action.

“Dr. King taught us that true courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to act despite it,” Curry said. “As Lutherans, we believe that faith must be lived publicly, for the sake of others. Faith gives us the courage to confront injustice, to stand with the vulnerable, and work for the common good.”

The keynote address is presented in part by the Williams Endowment Fund. It will be live streamed on Luther’s YouTube channel.

Advocacy Director, Pastor Paul Larson will be on the road this weekend for LEAN.

On Sunday, he will preach at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church at 8:00 am and 10:00 am.

The Colorado River Conference: Second Annual MLK Celebration

• Sunday, January 18, 2026 • 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time
• New Song Church, Henderson, NV
• 1291 Cornet Ave, Henderson, NV 89052

The Colorado River Conference invites you to a festive worship celebration featuring guest preacher Rev. Dr. James Thomas, author of A Rumor of Black Lutherans: The Formation of Black Leadership in Early American Lutheranism. Worship will be followed by a reception and conversation/book study with Dr. Thomas.

The House passed legislation on January 8th to extend enhanced ACA premium subsidies, bringing us one step closer to ensuring millions of Americans can continue affording health coverage. Now we need the Senate to act—urge your senators to pass this critical extension.

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada is concerned about efforts to restrict SNAP food choices for Nevada families. These proposed limitations, introduced without a public process, fail to address the real and urgent causes of hunger in our state.

The ELCA’s 1999 Social Statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All teaches that “food is a fundamental human right” and that society has a moral obligation to ensure that “all people are fed and protected from hunger.” It further calls on public leaders to create policies that “enhance human dignity rather than punish people for their poverty.”

Restricting how low-income families use their already, limited SNAP benefits does not protect health, it stigmatizes hunger. At a time when grocery costs continue to rise and many communities across Nevada lack access to fresh, affordable food, such restrictions do nothing to increase nutrition, dignity, or choice.

The ELCA reminds us that hunger is not caused by personal failure but by “a web of policies, structures, and circumstances.” Any meaningful response must address the systemic barriers that prevent families from thriving, barriers like food deserts, low wages, and rising housing and utility costs.

As people of faith grounded in Jesus’ command to feed the hungry, we call on Nevada to pursue policies that:

• Expand access to healthy and affordable food
• Invest in grocery infrastructure in rural and underserved communities
• Engage the public transparently, including those most impacted
• Protect choice and dignity for families relying on SNAP

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada will continue to advocate alongside our congregations, neighbors, and community partners for a Nevada where every person, especially those living on the margins, has food on the table and agency in their lives.