A Second Encounter with Rep. Teague about H.R. 2139 (This one in Las Cruces)

Remember that I mentioned in my most recent post that my encounter with Rep. Harry Teague on Saturday was brief?

LaVerne Kaufman, our volunteer coordinator for Bread for the World in Las Cruces, caught up with him on Sunday and had a longer discussion with him about H.R. 2139, The Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009. Also present at that meeting was LaVerne's husband Bob.

LaVerne used a very helpful tool: a chart (contained in our Offering of Letters kit) developed by the Brookings Institution that shows that our foreign aid is adminstered by a confusing web of agencies.

Here's LaVerne's description

I got a phone message last night that Harry Teague would be in Las Cruces today.

I went to see him and took the chart from the Offering of Letters kit showing the foreign aid duplications of mission.

I had a chance to discuss it with one of his Las Cruces staff and she said she would bring it to his attention.

Bob and I met with Rep. Teague briefly and I told him about our letters and the chart and asked him to sign on to HR 2139.

Like Rep. Martin Heinrich on Saturday, Rep. Teague was noncommittal after the Sunday meeting. But I suspect that we managed to get the issue somewhere high on the agendas of two of our three members of Congress.

And as LaVerne said, "We've also made phone calls" And we're continuing to make those phone calls next week.

And thanks to Dick Steele at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church and Estella Gahala-Lange at First United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, we will have several dozen letters to be delivered to Rep. Heinrich next week.

And thanks to Bobbie Rugg, we will also have about 22 letters from First Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe for Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, also next week

All those letters are to be sent by overnight mail to the Bread office first thing on Monday and delivered by the Bread government relations staff to Capitol Hill.

LaVerne is pictured above with BFW regional organizers Robin Stephenson and Meredith Story Williams

Pursuing H.R. 2139 at a Train Station and at an Asian Supermarket's Deli

What do a train station and an Asian/international supermarket have in common? That's where two of the three U.S. House members from New Mexico could be found on the third Saturday in May.

With the urgency of trying to get cosponsors for H.R. 2139, this was an opportunity we couldn't pass up! We had to try to talk to them about considering the possibility of cosponsoring this important piece of legislation, also known as the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009. In a nutshell, the bill asks President Barack Obama to overhaul our foreign policy structure to make sure our development policies are more effective.

Our Bread members in New Mexico had been making calls to the offices of Rep. Martin Heinrich, Rep. Harry Teague and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan all week, but as of the end of the week none of the three were among the 11 members of the House who had signed on to this bill.

Here's what Bread for the World President David Beckmann said just three days earlier.

Additional cosponsors will demonstrate that there is broad support in Congress for foreign assistance reform to make it more effective in reducing poverty. The next eight days are critical

So we had our work cut out. We had to find another way to get their attention. And what better way than to bring up the issue directly.

Rep. Harry Teague
Mr. Teague doesn't usually travel to Albuquerque because his congressional district comprises mostly southern New Mexico. But it so happens that the Duke City is an important starting point for our still fairly new commuter train, the Rail Runner Express, and Mr. Teague is promoting legislation that would extend this great rail system all the way down to Las Cruces. At present, the train runs between Santa Fe and Belen, which is just a few miles south of Albuquerque.

As part of his campaign, Mr. Teague decided to ride the train from Albuquerque to Los Lunas and Belen, two stops that are in his district. We caught up with him in Albuquerque, where we had a few minutes for an extremely brief chat. We handed him a copy of H.R. 2139 and asked (on behalf of Bread members in Las Cruces) to consider cosponsoring the bill. He promised he would look at the initiative closely.

LaVerne Kaufman, our Bread coordinator in Las Cruces, was going to ensure that we could reinforce the message from the district. She was going to contact that folks who hadn't called about HR2139 and asked them to picked up the telephone on Monday.

Rep. Martin Heinrich
It was with great delight that we discovered that Rep. Heinrich was holding "office hours" in the deli section of Talin World Market. This store started as an Asian supermarket, but has expanded its scope to include foods from the Caribbean, Italy, Egypt, and other regions. What better place to discuss a bill on international issues with our member of Congress?

I spent a little more time with Mr. Heinrich than I did with Mr. Teague. He gave me almost as much time as we get during our Lobby Day meetings in Washington. The difference here is that we were surrounded by meat and food cases and wonderful smells! I also handed Mr. Heinrich as copy of the text of the H.R. 2139, and had a few minutes to discuss how we felt this initiative would be a good step to improving our poverty-focused development assistance efforts. He agreed that the current foreign-aid structure was cumbersome and promised to consider this bill very closely. He couldn't promise at that point that he would cosponsor H.R. 2139, but directed the staffer sitting at his side to have the legislative aide in Washington who covers this area begin to look at the bill.

But wait! I wasn't the only Bread member who talked to Mr. Heinrich on that Saturday. Marjorie Williams came by later in the day to discuss H.R. 2139. Marjorie said she was encouraged that our congressman thinks very highly of the lead sponsor of the bill, Rep. Berman.

So we hope these visits translate into cosponsorships. Letters and phone calls and e-mails will continue pouring into Washington next week, not only to the offices of Rep. Heinrich and Teague, but also Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (We didn't know of any public event for him--or we would have been there too)!.

Footprints

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.
-Thomas Merton

This is a musical slide show of photographs from Bread for the World-New Mexico, dating back to the mid-1990s. The latest photographs are from 2008. Some of these photos involve Bread for the World activities within The ONE Campaign. Others are scenes from our Offering of Letters workshops and other activities. The quality of the photos is uneven.

But don't pay attention to that. Instead, focus on the different people who offered their time and talent to the mission of advocating for policies that will reduce hunger and poverty in our country and in our world.

With an Eye of an Artist and the Soul of a Seeker

This is an excerpt from Bread for the World's Website

Margaret Woodson Nea has the eye of an artist and the soul of a seeker.

Her photography has taken her from Kenya to Nepal, Ecuador to Thailand, and to 16 more countries. Since 1998, Margie has photographed in many locations for Bread for the World. Her photos of sisters Catherine and Bernadette Phiri in Zambia were featured prominently in the 2008 Offering of Letters.

If you're going to the National Gathering, please be sure to take Ms. Woodson's workshop, which she will give jointly with Jim Stipe and Rick Reinhard.

Call Congress about HR2139: It's very simple!

Making a call is very easy!
First the Austin Version





And then the Portland Version

A Very Important Phone Call to Washington

Urge Reps. Martin Heinrich, Harry Teague and Ben Ray Lujan to Co-Sponsor H.R. 2139

Now that we have an actual bill number in the U.S. House for our 2009 Offering of Letters, it should be easier to talk about and write letters about reforming foreign aid. H.R. 2139 directs the President of the United States to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting global development, and for other purposes.

The initiative was introduced last week by Rep. Howard Berman, D-CA, and cosponsored by Rep. Mark Kirk, R-IL. Since then, only a handful of House members have signed on Click here to keep track of co-sponsors We need to expand this list before May 18, and hopefully make the list as bi-partisan as possible. H.R. 2139 is likely to be merged with related legislation during that week.

Bread for the World President David Beckmann tells us why it's so important to build up our list of cosponsors before then:

By getting as many cosponsors as possible, we are demonstrating that foreign assistance reform is a politically viable issue. If we fail at this juncture, I doubt that we will achieve broad reform of U.S. foreign assistance this year or next.

We want all three members of the House from New Mexico to join the list of cosponsors. If you haven't called one of those three representatives, won't you take 2 minutes to make the call?

Here's a toll-free number to the Capitol Switchboard: 800-826-3688

Briefing
If you want to hear an update and more details about H.R. 2139 and foreign-aid reform, join other Bread for the World members in a conference call. Use this toll-free number to participate 866-866-2244. Conference code: 1422871#

Standing With Mothers and All Other Women on Mother's Day

Our friend and ally Vicki Gottlieb of RESULTS Albuquerque asks us to join with her in a unique and meaningful way to celebrate Mother's Day. Here's a note from Vicki:

I joined this movement at its inception two years ago, the year after my mother died. I stood at the Barnegat Bay, New Jersey lighthouse where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bay and was joined by a friend I finally met last year who stood at the tip of the southern coast of South Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

I invite you to join me this Sunday, wherever you are, with whomever you find yourself, in a powerful stand for a world that works for everyone with no one and nothing left out

Click on this link to find out more

StandingWomen.org

Stories Below the Radar

Tom McDermott of Santa Fe, a member of Bread for the World who has twice has spoken at our Offering of Letters workshops, has started his own blog. The purpose of the blog, called Tom's Page, is to look at stories “below the radar”

As Tom puts it, these are stories "unlikely to make headlines, but which are nonetheless interesting – at least - to me."

For those of you who came to our workshops, you probably know a little bit about Tom. He was in the Peace Corps in India, and then worked for the UN in Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ghana, Indonesia, Thailand, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, India, Pakistan, and Bosnia.

Plus, he served as Special Representative to the Countries of former Yugoslavia during the wars in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo. And after that, he became UNICEF's Director of Personnel and then the agency's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Tom currently serves on the boards of New Mexico State University's International Institute and the Santa Fe Council on International Relations.

I can't think of anyone with better qualifications to write this blog. Please do take time to visit it. Tom brings up some very interesting topics.

A Tribute to a Friend

We celebrate the life of John Haaland, a long time Bread for the World member in New Mexico, who passed away on April 15 at the age of 94.

In this picture (September 1994), John is second from the left just behind his wife Chris. Also pictured are Bread for the World members Kathy Rockow and Bro. Jim Brown. The photo was taken during a local ceremony celebrating Bread for the World's 20th anniversary.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 25, 2009, 3:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 Indian School Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers Memorial contributions may be made to The Storehouse or St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Below are some of excerpts from an obituary that appeared in the Albuquerque Journal.
**************
John was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, since 1948. His interest in children and Christian education led to many years of service as a Sunday school teacher and superintendent. Over the years John served the church at local, regional and national levels with his leadership, time, and commitment.

Ecumenism was also an issue of great interest for John. He served on the New Mexico Conference of Churches Board for 6 years and was a member of the Albuquerque Division of the NM Council of Churches.

He was president of The Storehouse in Albuquerque for 12 years and was instrumental in gaining support and financial resources from the national church for this community resource. John continued serving on the board into his 90's and was made Emeritus Board Member in 2008.

While working with the growing numbers of hungry people in Albuquerque, John realized that changes in our government processes were necessary to improve the lives of the poor. He became an advocate who gave voice to persons with no political voice.

He was instrumental in establishing the Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry (now Lutheran Advocacy Ministry) in New Mexico, in 1984. Its goal is to work with legislators and public officials in NM to pass laws to protect and help the sick, mentally ill, elderly, and children of this state; to promote justice and reduce discrimination; and to bring hope for the future to the poor of NM. John worked effectively for years with LOGM as a Board Member and Committee Chair, visiting legislators and writing letters to them to support these goals.

A Just Way to Celebrate Mother's Day

By Alaina Paradise

Mother’s Day accounts for 25% of the sales of the entire U.S. floral industry each year. One of the greatest ironies of the holiday is the mistreatment of hundreds of thousands of mothers and other female workers on floral farms around the globe.

These ladies are often subjected to sexual harassment, cheated out of wages, and forced to work in dangerous fumigated areas without proper protection - hardly the gift that many intend to give when they hand a bunch of roses to their smiling mom. This year, Fair Trade Certified™ flowers are the new option for socially-conscious shoppers who want to give Mom a gift that truly gives back.

The Fair Trade program is slowly making a drastic impact in the lives of many floral workers and their families in countries like Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya. About 90% of these workers are female, and many are mothers themselves.

A great example of the positive change is seen in Ecuador where the minimum wage is the equivalent of around $166 per month, or $0.95 per hour according to the U.S. Department of State. Wages are even lower for the average floral worker in a non-Fair Trade business in Ecuador. They make $90 per month if they are lucky.

The Fair Trade program for Ecuadoran floral farms puts an end to this disparity by providing not just minimum wage, but a living wage to workers on Certified farms.

Women who work on these farms are now able to support themselves and their families, which means better nutrition, access to higher education, improved living conditions and greater equality for women in the home.

Fair Trade flowers are new to the U.S. market, and the largest companies in the floral industry have done little to promote their availability. One World Flowers is a start-up company based in Albuquerque, N.M., that is completely dedicated to selling 100% Fair Trade flowers. The company is a licensed by TransFair USA as an official importer of Fair Trade Certified™ flowers and it acts as a wholesaler to many co-op markets, grocery stores, and florists around the country. As part of the company’s commitment to fair trade, 10% of the purchase price of the flowers is donated back to a workers’ fund each quarter.

Farm employees organize democratically to vote on ways to use the funds for community improvement, micro-lending, or education. Fair Trade farms also provide on-site doctors and healthcare for employees, 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, and year-round working agreements to prevent seasonal layoffs.

With such incredible benefits it is hard to imagine that Fair Trade flowers are not offered by more places. There is confusion among consumers about other flower labels such as Veriflora and FlorVerde. These are primarily environmental protection programs that do not have the same social and human rights protections that are offered by Fair Trade. Florists and grocers around the nation often don’t make the distinction between these programs and Fair Trade, which also includes strict environmental protection standards. They are therefore unlikely to pay the extra cost for offering Fair Trade flowers to customers.

“Growth has been slow but steady,” says Joie King of One World Flowers, “we really work hard to educate consumers around the big holidays about the social and economic impacts of Fair Trade in addition to its environmental sustainability standards. Our goal is to make the biggest impact we can for the ladies on Fair Trade farms.”

As surrounding farms see the success of the Fair Trade program, the hope is that more will seek to change their policies and go through the rigorous certification process.

Before giving mom a bunch of roses for Mother’s Day this year, consider the source and the moms who grew them. It’s worth the extra few dollars per bouquet to ensure that the women who grew the roses were paid and treated fairly.

Be sure to look for the Fair Trade label on the bouquet wrapper or individual stems to ensure that what you’re really getting are Fair Trade flowers. If you can’t find them, ask your local florist or cooperative market to start carrying them. Where to buy

The difference is peace of mind for moms worldwide who no longer have to struggle to feed their children or provide a safe home. Take it from Silvia Mariana Cualchi Rojas, a Fair Trade floral worker who said, "When I separated from my husband, my son and I had no place to go. Without my husband, I couldn’t qualify for a bank loan. [The farm’s] Housing Maintenance Program put a roof over our heads and pride in our hearts."

It’s amazing what the right gift for one can do for others!

The author is president of One World Flowers

Read earlier blog post about her business

(Editor's note: And if you decide to buy your Mother's Day bouquets from One World Flowers, please remember that orders are due by April 24)

Nutrition Bills in Congress

The following is an action alert from Pam Roy, director of the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council.

We want to bring two House Resolutions to your attention and ask for your consideration to contact your Congressman and request that they sign on to both of these Resolutions.

The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, H.R. 1324:

This bill will update the national nutrition standards for foods sold in schools that "directly compete" with school meals (breakfast and lunch). "Competitive foods" include vending machines that sell candy bars and soft drinks and fast food franchise. The current federal standards are 30 years old. As stated below, New Mexico was one of the first states to change nutrition standards in schools to eliminate most competitive food sales - thanks to the hard work of many of you!

More than 120 members of Congress have already signed on. We need to show our New Mexico support! Please contact Reps. Lujan, Heinrich and Teague to request that they co-sign the H. R. 1324 legislation.

Last autumn, the NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council chose several important issues that we felt would be important to focus on in the current federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization. One issue was to support federal nutrition standards that would limit the sale of "competitive foods in schools" in all states as long as it didn't supersede state rules already passed and implemented in numerous states including New Mexico (see attached letter already sent to New Mexico Senators and Congressmen).

In 2006-7 the NM Food & Ag Policy Council took a lead role in working with New Mexico organizations, agencies and policymakers to change "school meal rules" to restrict the sales of candy and sodas in vending machines in schools, as well as other "competitive foods" such as fast food vendors, from selling in schools (thus competing with school meal programs).

New Mexico was one of the first states to change the rules to restrict schools from allowing the sales of unhealthy foods and the promotion of healthier options such as fresh fruits and vegetables in school meal and snack programs. We advocated at the federal level to increase the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program which received a healthy increase through the passage of the federal Farm Bill in 2008 and now benefits children in all states.

White House Conference on Food and Nutrition, H. R. 1869

Representatives James P. McGovern and Jo Ann Emerson have introduced H.R. 1869, a bill requiring a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition to be held by December 31, 2010.

The White House Conference on Food and Nutrition would bring together experts in food, health, nutrition, and economic security to develop a plan not only to end hunger once and for all in the United States, but also require that proper nutrition be taken into account in such a plan.

Ending hunger is the moral thing to do, but it's also critical that we address the issues associated with the rising cost of food and health care, increased obesity rates, and the health problems associated with obesity, poor nutrition, and hunger.

Hunger in the Pews

The peace and justice committee at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community in Albuquerque wanted to do a townhall meeting in the parish around the issue of hunger.

The question was how to convince parishioners that this was an important topic. In addressing this important question, one of the members of the committee came up with an even more important question. Given the current economic crisis in the U.S., how many members of the parish are suffering from hunger?

The committee, which includes Bread for the World members Virginia Pitts and Ellen Buelow, then decided to put together a survey to try to answer this question. With the help of Fathers Joel Garner and Gene Gries, the committee managed to get more than 900 responses from parishioners to the survey, including 69 who answered in Spanish.

What was touching for me, were the number of people who reached out and handed me their surveys and as I glanced at them, they were letting me know that they were part of the invisible, said committee member Joanne Angel.

Roughly one-fourth of the respondents acknowledged that they had been truly hungry, and another one-third said they knew someone who suffered that condition. The survey also asked whether respondents knew people who received food stamps and what type of charity actions they took to address the problem. (See responses below at the bottom of this post).

Here is a touching response (paraphrased).

I will not be able to attend the townhall meeting as I have limited gas. My daughter lost her job and now I have 11 people living with me and I am a single mom who does not quailify for assistance. I have given in the past but am unable to do contribute at this time but will when things get better.

And a Spanish speaker who answered the survey said he was amazed to see hunger existing in the land of plenty. The respondent said:

In reality hunger is greater here than in a Third World country because it's here"

At the town hall meeting, the committee brought together service providers, including representatives from The Rio Grande Food Project, St. Vincent de Paul, SHARE, The Storehouse and others. Representatives from these organizations talked about how they served the community, both at Holy Rosary and in the Greater Albuquerque area. But the committee thought that addressing the needs had to go beyond charity. I was asked to speak about legislative advocacy (both domestic and international), global poverty and Bread for the World. I urged town hall participants to take part in the parish's offering of letters on the weekend of April 18-19.

The committee is considering strategies to follow up on the results of the survey and the town hall in between now and Hunger Awareness Weekend on June 27-28. A handful of participants were touched enough by the presentations that they joined the parish's peace and justice committee and volunteered for the Rio Grande Food project.

One group [who replied to the evaluations at the town hall] mentioned that we needed to keep hunger on people's mind," said Ms. Angel. "so we are in the process of applying to the archdiocese for a grant.

Survey

Have you ever been truly hungry? Yes 228 No 703

Do you know anyone right now who is hungry? Yes 297 No 629

How many people do you know right now who are receiving food stamps?
None 257
1-5 369
6-10 74
11-plus 61

How do you personally address the hunger issue?
a. donate to local food banks 375
b. contribute to St. Vincent de Paul collection 498
c. Buy SHARE packages to donate to St. Vincent de Paul 121

Teff: Bread for Ethiopia

We are created in the image of God. If I invest myself in those who suffer in the world, those who are so different from me, I learn more about this God that I love.
Rev. Dee Ivy and Charles Ivy, explaining their mission in Ethiopia

(Note: This article is reprinted from the March 24 issue of a newsletter published by First United Methodist Church in Albuquerque. This is the first of three articles about bread in the world and Bread for the World ahead of FUMC's Offering of Letters on May 10 and 17).

By Rev. Dee Ivy

Have you ever heard of teff? Well, we hadn’t either until coming to Ethiopia in May 2008. Teff is the tiniest of grains and THE staple for every Ethiopian family. Teff is to Ethiopians as flour is to Americans or rice to Japanese. When mixed with water and left to ferment for three or four days, teff is used to make a spongy huge round bread that looks like a dirty dish towel to those of us unenlighted about Ethiopian cuisine.

HOPEFULLY, injera is made every day; the first food eaten in the morning and the last food eaten before going to bed. We were blessed to deliver 300 kilos of teff to an orphanage last December thanks to a gift of money from Los Compadres Sunday School class. They trusted us to invest in the community and provide food for orphans.

The key word in my first paragraph is HOPEFULLY.

Millions of Ethiopians are starving to death while they continue to hope. For a year, the cost of teff has steadily risen and is now at a point where millions cannot afford this simple daily staple. Without money to purchase their daily bread, what do the hungry hope for? Generosity? Charity?

During the past few years we have listened first hand to the hopes and dreams of the world’s poor. We have heard them cry for PEACE AND JUSTICE: fair wages for their labor, reasonable food prices in order to feed their children, schools to educate their children, and peace.

They long for peace---peace that means the absence of war. Without peace, all their efforts are futile. I grew up with the mantra “Work hard and you can accomplish your dreams.”

My experiences at home and abroad have shown me that this mantra does not ring true for the millions who will go to bed hungry tonight. The poor are some of the hardest working people we have ever met, but their labor is often unrewarded and they must rely on assistance. We believe that when one suffers, we all suffer.

When one rejoices, we all rejoice. Let us rejoice as we work together for PEACE AND JUSTICE so that none will hunger or suffer tonight, not even you and me.

****

A Short Note about Charlie and Dee Ivy

Having served in United Methodist Missions in Liberia and the Philippines for three years, they returned to Albuquerque to be with family and participate in the spiritual life of First United Methodist Church in Albuquerque for four years. But Africa called.

While poverty and suffering are everywhere in the world, I believe the most vulnerable people in our world are in Africa. Living in Bahir Dar, Charlie mentors a regional health director and Dee is an educator in a local secondary school. God participates in work and relationships that are mutually beneficial. The more we give, the more we receive. When you wonder if God is in the midst of something, just look at who is benefiting!

Our cyberspace conversation was “mutually benefiting” across the miles. All will benefit in reading Dee’s article about teff. Estella Gahala-Lange

Daffodils, Cheesecake and the Emerging Church

(Originally published in Bread Blog, March 24, 2009)

What is the relationship between daffodils and cheesecake? They both served as centerpieces at a recent conference about the Emerging Church, sponsored by the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque. Both are also very powerful symbols of a very rich weekend of reflections and sharing.

The cheesecake (and the chocolate cake) that were offered for dessert after the Saturday evening meal seemed a little too rich to eat all at once. This was the case with the flow of ideas and discussions.

The daffodils, a common symbol of spring, represented the sense of rebirth, convergence, and emergence that emanated from the discussions.

At the risk of leaving out important pieces of information, I will attempt to briefly address the spirit of the discussions. The obvious question: What is it that the church in all its various manifestations and denominations is "emerging" from? I can answer this in one word: institutionalism.

But it goes even beyond that. Presenters like Alexie Torres-Fleming, Shane Claiborne and Karen Sloan suggested that our motivation must change from being simply "fans" of Jesus to truly become "followers" of Jesus. This means that the values that were most dear to Jesus, such as walking with the poor and simplicity, must become the center of our own faith experience.

One of the presenters noted an inscription on a banner that said "How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?"

Presenter Phyllis Tickle quoted the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said that church had become a place to go more than a people to be.

But as Father Richard Rohr, Rev. Brian McLaren and the other presenters warned us, it's not about creating a new institution, but about promoting a conversion within our own existing structures. We see our discontent as the very reason we engage the church not disengage.

Shane Claiborne put it in a different and more humorous way: The way I see it is like Noah's Ark. It stinks inside. But if you get out, you drown.

The discussion, in fact, is about whether we should even call it "emerging church" or "emergent church." A common suggestions is to call the movement "emerging Christianity"The passion for change is reaching across the spectrum of Christian denominations, from the liturgical (Roman Catholic-Anglican/Episocpalian) to the reformation denominations (Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, etc..) to Charismatic, Evangelical and other traditions. All were represented at the conference.

In addition to the rich variety of traditions, the event attracted scores of younger persons (under 40), who are drawn to this emerging way of looking at spiritual growth that promotes linking contemplation (a deep personal relationship with the creator) with solidarity with those who are disenfranchised; social justice and holistic mission; and the creation of authentic community.

To get a greater sense of the movement, I recommend that you read the October-December issue of Radical Grace, where the presenters offered their reflections. The Emergent Village blog also deals extensively with the subject of Emerging Church and Emerging Christianity.

Bread for the World's Role

So, in the larger scheme of things, how does this apply to our work at Bread for the World? We are still trying to figure out where our movement fits in this transition.

But I do have one clear example. A Bread for the World member from a community in central New Mexico mentioned to me that it would be difficult to set up an Offering of Letters at his church because of opposition from the higher-ups.

But in our discussion, we agreed that for now, letter-writing would not have to be confined to the institution, but that members could meet in community to write letters. By doing this, they would at least have some members of the church writing letters instead of not being able to use their advocacy gifts on behalf of the poor. And hopefully, the small letter-writing activity could become a stepping stone to eventually bring it to the full church.

Additionally, Bread for the World is in the process of reviewing its grassroots organizing strategies, and the values and recent trends related to the Emerging Church/Emerging Christianity are sure to become part of the conversation.

Scenes from 2009 Offering of Letters Workshops

Peace Lutheran Church, Las Cruces
See program










Regional organizers Robin Stephenson and Meredith Story Willams chat with Las Cruces coordinator LaVerne Kaufman










Rebecca Wiggins, speaker










LaVerne Kaufman chats with Ray Willem;










Becca Winship and Katie Smoker



St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque
See program










Anna Creamer, Kyra Ellis-Moore and Ester Schneider read script about letter-writing










Speaker Maria Franco-Tapia (Heifer) chats with Sharon Barefoot










Speaker Mark Peceny










Else Tasseron, George Huggins


First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe
See program










Robin Stephenson & Bro. Jim Brown, FSC


\







Speaker Tom McDermott










Keith West-Harrison & Andre West-Harrison, speakers from CARE Action Network










Susan Duncan chats with Carlos Navarro

To see more photos from our three workshops visit our album on Photobucket