When Deacon Wendy Roberts approached me in August 2024 about participating in a Young Adult Immersion Trip through the ELCA’s Witness in Society, there was no way I would say no to that opportunity. She told me that I had been nominated by the Reverends Ruth Ann and Ray Sipe, coordinators of Lutheran Disaster Response Carolinas. The immersion trip included advocacy work on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., and traveling to New York to learn more about the Lutheran World Federation.

As I sat down in the Hampton Inn on August 24, 2024 (the day of my best friend’s ordination), I thought more about the intersection of my faith with the focus on climate justice, not knowing that one of the worst natural disasters would affect my home state less than a month later.

Prep work

There were a total of 15 young adults who were selected from across the ELCA who met on Zoom in October to begin our advocacy work on different climate-related issues. The issues were permitting reform, Farm Bill reauthorization, international climate finance, and disaster relief funding. While I initially favored permitting reform, I slowly found myself drawn to disaster relief funding, especially since Hurricane Helene hit not even a month before our first meeting.

In Western North Carolina, congregations were the first responders, collecting and distributing materials to those in need before the more-resourced agencies like Lutheran Disaster Response and Mennonite Disaster Response entered the scene. These agencies complemented the work that the Federal Emergency Management Agency did, and they would also stay after FEMA left.

While I am no policy expert, I find that it is best to learn the gist of the policies presented, and when needed, to dive into the more granular details. I have spent several months before in Washington, D.C. interning at different civic organizations, and the one that had the most impact, and served as a catalyst for my interests in faith, politics, and policy, was the Center for Public Justice.

Going to the Hill

The cluster of young adults arrived December 1, 2024 in Washington, D.C. for worship and to begin our work. During the round robin of introductions, Director of the ELCA Advocacy, the Rev. Amy Reumann, noted that all who participated in this excursion were called to that space. On that Monday morning, we gathered together in the office as we learned the key terms to use when talking with different congressional offices. While we were assigned our Senators and Representatives, the staff encouraged us to visit other offices supporting our colleagues.

Another colleague from North Carolina and I went to Senator Thom Tillis’ office (R-NC), as his office had developed a warm relationship with the ELCA’s advocacy office. The conversation focused primarily on disaster relief, and that Senator Tillis worked diligently with the leaders in North Carolina to continuously push for federal aid.

Global Lutheranism

The ELCA is a member of a wider Lutheran Global communion known as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The purpose of the immersion trip was to connect young adults to the national and international global bodies and then bring their experience back into the local context. In other words, local to global to local. There is a misconception among congregations in the ELCA that they are islands; however, the congregations function more as embassies for God creating disciples and striving for justice and peace in the world. Congregations are a small part of the wider mission of this church, and at times, it is helpful for them to be reminded of their interconnectedness.

During our time in New York, we learned more about the mission of LWF and its relationship to the United Nations. Inside the U.N. Interfaith Chapel, which was led by a group of lay women from the Methodist church, has a giant eye carved in the back. The eye goes both ways. The church looks out at the world, and the world looks back at the church.

The Lutheran Element

Lutherans are called to live in the world yet not called to be of the world. What this means is that as Lutherans we hold in tension our faith in Christ with our civic engagement as American citizens. Luther’s Augsburg Confession, the pre-eminent declaration of faith, states that “Christians are necessarily bound to obey their own magistrates and laws save only when commanded to sin; for then they ought to obey God than men.”

Lutheran witness involves striving for justice and peace in the world, yet for many, not knowing where to start is the first question. When doing advocacy work, there is an expectation to push for something monumental. Start small, even when gathering together with other individuals who share similar purpose. There is no one-size-fits-all for advocacy.

Our Response

Other practical ways Lutherans might engage in advocacy include writing to your congressional or state representatives. Yes, an intern will read the note, mark it as read, and then place it in a notebook. There is that off-chance that someone will reach back out to ask more questions. Calling your representatives is another thing one can do.

Lastly, you can always donate to organizations that do the on-the-ground work like Lutheran Disaster Response. They embody the local-to-global-to-local mentality, and they are also one of the first organizations to arrive at a natural disaster and the last to leave.

Advocacy is one faithful response to God’s call for justice—and God’s call to be in community and love one another. Thanks to your generous giving through Mission Support, ELCA advocacy is working on our behalf to support issues like childhood hunger, small farms, disaster response, and more.