The assembly invited renewed efforts by members and congregations to "reach and surpass, as soon as possible," a goal of $25 million in annual giving to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
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The assembly said Lutherans should study the situation in Darfur, Sudan, and advocate to federal officials on behalf of Darfur, a place where the U.S. government has called the mass killing "genocide." The action praised the presiding bishop for the efforts he and the LWF have made to address the situation in Darfur.
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Voting members declared their opposition to "any escalation of the war" in Iraq and asked this church to call on the U.S. government to "take immediate and comprehensive steps to end the violence and establish a peaceful, stable, and just society in that country." They urged the ELCA to engage in "moral deliberation about the situation in Iraq," urged concern for military personnel and their families, and asked ELCA members to make their views known to members of Congress.
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ELCA congregations and other Lutheran agencies should provide a "welcoming and supporting environment for returnirlg military veterans," according to an assembly resolution.
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The assembly called on the ELCA to recommit to this church's strategy for engagement in Israel and Palestine, including a call for economic initiatives. The assembly also called for examination of investment activity by the ELCA and added an amendment that specifically excludes "the option of divestiture." Awareness-building, accompaniment and advocacy activities are components of the strategy, adopted by the Church Council in 2005, and the ELCA "Peace Not Walls: Stand for Justice in the Holy Land" campaign that the 2005 Churchwide Assembly adopted.
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With a 318 to 309 vote, the assembly asked synod bishops to discuss their accountability "to the adopted policies, practices and procedures of the ELCA" and requested that a report be brought to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.
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Budgets for the ELCA for 2008 and 2009 were adopted.
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The assembly acted on several other memorials by pointing out previous actions on the specified subject, declining to act or referring them to the Church Council and churchwide units.
The Eleventh Biennial Assembly of the ELCA will be Aug. 17-23, 2009, in Minneapolis.
Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at http:llwww.ELCA.orqlassemblvlon the ELCA Web site.