Statement from Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, February 2, 2025
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seeks to be a witness to Christ by feeding people who are hungry, caring for those who are sick, and advocating for justice, peace, and the dignity of all people. This has been the calling of the church for over 2, 000 years.
Today, false accusations were made on X, formerly Twitter, regarding government funding to Lutheran organizations. The claims were those of money laundering and illegal payments. Yet these organizations have done the same work for 85 years in serving legally admitted refugees and immigrants.
As church, we follow the eighth commandment of the scriptures which states: you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Despite misinformation and baseless doubt cast today on funding that supports Lutheran organizations across our country, the ELCA remains steadfast in our commitment and work with our many Lutheran partners and expressions of our church. The ELCA is also concerned for other faith based communities and organizations who have similarly come under attack.
We strongly urge political leaders at all levels of government to use their offices and platforms responsibly. They should consider the impact of misleading statements and conjecture without regard for the impact those statements have on the communities targeted by these messages.
Our call to love our neighbors as ourselves remains steadfast: Seek the truth and share the good news of Jesus Christ as we continue to follow his teachings.
Let me tell you a story. In the year 258, the Roman Empire, during one of its many persecutions of the Church, ordered that the Church turn over its treasure. The task fell to a young deacon named Lawrence, who was given three days to complete it. Immediately, Lawrence sold all the liquid assets and gave that to the sick and to the widows. He liquidated also all of the property and divided that up amongst the poor. On the third day, he appeared before the emperor who demanded to see the treasures of the church. Lawrence gestured behind him, and there were standing those who were sick and hungry, the poor, the naked, the stranger in the land, the most vulnerable, and Lawrence said, “these are the treasures of the church.” He was martyred for that.
Meet Fellow Nevadans To Advocate For Justice As Legislative Session Begins
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada invites you to participate in Lutheran Lobby Day on Monday, February 10, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This powerful day of worship and advocacy is an opportunity to live out our Lutheran values of justice and compassion while making a meaningful impact in Nevada.
The day begins at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (1201 N. Saliman Road, Carson City, NV 89701) with a worship service that centers our efforts in prayer and faith. From there, we will move to the Nevada State Capitol, where participants will have the chance to meet with legislators and advocate for issues that align with our Lutheran commitment to justice and the common good.
As Lutherans, we are called to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). Lutheran Lobby Day is a tangible way to answer that call, ensuring our voices are heard on critical issues facing our communities.
Registration is required to participate in this impactful event. Register here and join us as we gather in faith and solidarity to advocate for policies that reflect God’s love for the world.
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) announces that Rev. Paul Larson, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Family in Carson City, NV, has been named to the position of Advocacy Director. He will serve as legislative advocate on behalf of Lutheran parishioners across the state of Nevada, reporting to the LEAN Policy Council. The 83rd Session of the Nevada Legislature convenes its 120-day biannual session on Feb. 3, 2025.
As a registered lobbyist, Rev. Larson will keep abreast of social justice issues facing individuals and families in Nevada, as well as issues relating to the care of creation. Under the Policy Council’s direction, he will monitor the introduction of relevant bills; advocate the LEAN position on issues with elected officials; conduct speaking engagements and/or workshops (in person or online) at a congregational level on active advocacy and participating in the legislative process; and perform various other outreach and advocacy duties, including helping plan a “Lobby Day” at the Nevada Capitol in February. He will also network with local, state, and national advocacy groups pursuing a similar public policy agenda, and, where appropriate, serve as a member on relevant state-level boards and coalitions.
As a body, LEAN operates under direction and with support of the Grand Canyon and Sierra Pacific Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
“Over LEAN’s nearly three-decade history, we’ve always had strong, committed, spirit-led advocates to represent Christian principles in the halls of Nevada power,” says Vic Williams, longtime LEAN Policy Council member and current secretary/treasurer. “Rev. Larson is the latest in a long line of dedicated servants, and we truly look forward to working with him to further our mission, with the ELCA’s Social Statements as our foundation.”
Before being called in October 2024 as lead pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Family, Rev. Larson served as pastor at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in his native Salinas, CA, for two years; during that time he also served as Chaplain for Lutheran Campus Ministry of the Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz. Previous positions include Strategic Designer for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Young Adult Ministry in Chicago, Illinois; Interim Youth Director for East Bay Lutheran Youth Parish in Oakland, CA; and Vicar at Advent Lutheran Church, Westminster, CO. He also brings a wealth of community organizing and communications experience to his new LEAN position.
“I was interested in this position because of today’s changing political landscape, and how people of faith respond to it,” says Rev. Larson. “There are plenty of issues in play for the upcoming session, from immigration to early childhood development to food insecurity, to addiction. How do we support families through these and other challenges? I look forward to representing congregations and LEAN as we advocate for all Nevadans.”
Rev. Larson holds an M.DIV from United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia, PA, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Political Science from Luther College in Decorah, IA.
Sign the Nourish Our Future petition urging our senators and representatives to end child hunger in the U.S. and around the world!
Why is this important?
Millions of children in the U.S. live in households facing food insecurity. Globally, almost 45 million children suffer from severe hunger, and nearly half of all preventable deaths among children under five are attributed to malnutrition. Child hunger is a local and a global problem, but together we can make a difference.
Sign Bread for the World’s petition TODAY calling on the 119th Congress to Nourish Our Future, and join Bread for the World online for the Nourish Our Future launch on February 4! It is integral that we show U.S. Congress that there is broad and deep support across the country to ensure all children are fed and nourished.
We want to influence, empower, and work with Congress to pass legislation that:
fully funds and modernizes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
expands a Child Tax Credit that prioritizes cutting child poverty and ending hunger
increases funding for global nutrition programs for children
helps reduce food insecurity on college campuses
Below is more detail on why we want Congress to pass legislation that addresses these issues:
Fully funding and modernizing WIC for all eligible participants
WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) provides mothers and young children in the U.S. with nutritious food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, immunization screening, and important health and social services referrals. The program reaches approximately 6.7 million women and young children, including about half of all infants born in the United States.
WIC participation leads to healthier eating, increased birth weights, fewer premature births, and fewer infant deaths. The program helps support proper brain development in young children, contributing to the child’s ability to learn and thrive later in life. WIC also has a significant economic impact due to reduced healthcare costs.
Recognizing these powerful outcomes, Congress has fully funded WIC on a bipartisan basis for decades. In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act modernized and strengthened the program to reach more eligible families. Unfortunately, due to congressional inaction and polarization, not only have these changes been rolled back, but WIC is in jeopardy of not being fully funded for the first time in 25 years.
We are urging Congress to:
Recommit to fully fund WIC now and in the future, so that all who are eligible and apply have access
Restore reforms that strengthened the program and made it easier for families to sign up.
Expanding a Child Tax Credit that prioritizes cutting child poverty and ending hunger
The Child Tax Credit (CTC) serves as a lifeline for the most vulnerable and a beacon of hope for millions of families in the U.S. The expanded CTC, enacted as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, significantly reduced child hunger and led to the lowest child poverty rate in our nation’s history. Bread for the World worked hard to pass the Child Tax Credit expansion in 2021. The expansion increased the amount of the credit and made two other critical policy changes, which have now expired and which Bread is working to restore. Those changes are:
Full Refundability – This provision meant that even the poorest families who don’t make enough money to pay taxes still receive the full tax credit.
Monthly payments rather than annual lump sum payments after tax filing. Data shows that families used the monthly payments to meet basic living expenses, with food topping the list of such expenses.
The proven, measurable success of the expanded Child Tax Credit and the 45% increase in child poverty since its expiration make clear that the passage of a similar bill would make an immediate and dramatic impact on child poverty and hunger.
Increasing funding for global nutrition programs for children
Programs that help prevent and treat child malnutrition in low-income countries save lives, help families and communities thrive, and build resilience and stability for generations to come. Increasing funding for these programs, a tiny fraction of the U.S. budget, is a compassionate and strategic response to soaring rates of child malnutrition right now and a wise investment in our shared future.
Priority nutrition programs include:
Treatment of acute malnutrition
Education and promotion of breastfeeding
Nutrition supplements for children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women
Education and promotion of good feeding and hygiene practices for infants and young children
Preventive malaria treatment
Fortification of staple food crops with nutrients
Developing solutions to college student hunger
Nearly 23% of all college students were food insecure in 2020, and students who were food insecure were less likely to get their bachelor’s degrees than those who were food secure. In addition, there is a substantial “SNAP gap,” meaning students who are eligible for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or other assistance but do not receive benefits.
To help close the SNAP gap, Bread for the World has identified three priorities:
Pass legislation in Congress that addresses this gap, such as The Opportunity to Address College Hunger Act or Closing the College Hunger Gap Act.
Persuade the Department of Education to inform low-income students matriculating on college or university campuses of their potential eligibility for SNAP, WIC, and other benefits.
Partner with a research institute to study best practices for closing the SNAP gap and to identify which interventions have the potential to be brought to scale and to attract public funding through future advocacy.
How it will be delivered
Bread for the World representatives will deliver these petition signatures to the local and DC offices of Members of Congress.
Will Advocate For Nevadans at Legislature, Through Congregations
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada’s Policy Council is currently seeking a part-time Director to replace Bill Ledford, who left in early 2024 to take his first pastoral call in Utah.
In their capacity, the Director will work with the Policy Council to establish policy objectives, register as an official advocate/lobbyist at the Nevada Legislature, and work with ELCA congregations throughout Nevada to establish a grass roots, faith-based network of Christian believers to carry out the church’s ongoing mission to build a more just and fair society for all. As one of dozens of ELCA State Public Policy Offices across the nation, LEAN bases its advocacy and engagement efforts on the guidance of official ELCA Social Statements and Messages.
LEAN and its Director advocate on behalf of Nevada congregations in the Grand Canyon and Sierra Pacific synods. The 83rd Nevada Legislative Session begins Feb. 3, 2025, and runs for a minimum of 120 days.
The position is part-time and offered on a contract-only basis. The full Job Description and Working Agreement is available for viewing and download below.
Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada 