News

At the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), ELCA advocacy leaders joined global partners to advance justice for women and girls. Through panels, worship, and conversation, participants reflected on how faith communities can help build systems rooted in dignity, equity, and care.

This reflection reminds us that justice is not only policy—it is lived reality. As Lutherans called into public witness, we are invited to participate in this ongoing work locally and globally. Read more about this experience and how it connects to our shared calling.

In a reflection marking International Women’s Day (March 8), ELCA advocacy intern Ashley Chepkorir shares her journey from Kenya to global policy studies and advocacy work in Washington, D.C. Her story highlights the power of education, mentorship, and faith communities in helping girls imagine futures that once seemed impossible.

Drawing on the ELCA’s teaching that every person is created with dignity and gifted to contribute to society, Chepkorir invites faith communities to consider how they can encourage and support girls and young women today. Read the full reflection on the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

Congress is currently debating the 2026 Farm Bill, one of the most significant pieces of legislation affecting agriculture, hunger programs, rural communities, and conservation in the United States and around the world. In a recent update, ELCA Advocacy outlines both encouraging provisions and ongoing concerns, urging lawmakers to adopt policies that reflect our shared faith commitments to feed hungry neighbors, support farmers and rural communities, and care for God’s creation.

The ELCA continues to call for stronger protections for programs like SNAP, international food aid, and conservation initiatives that promote soil health and sustainable agriculture. Learn more about the current status of the Farm Bill and how Lutherans can engage in advocacy by reading the full update. Read more at ELCA.org.

In a new ELCA Advocacy devotional, Daniella Garber reflects on Jesus’ image of a “city on a hill that cannot be hidden” and what it means for Christians to remain steady and visible in their advocacy for neighbors and God’s creation. Drawing on childhood memories of mountains that never move, Garber reminds readers that faithful advocacy is often slow and unseen—but our calling is to remain present, hopeful, and unhidden in the world.

This reflection invites us to consider where we find steady presence in our lives and how the church can remain a visible witness to God’s justice and compassion. Read the full devotional.

In “Light on the Hill,” Jeffrey M. Jordan II of the ELCA Witness in Society office reflects on advocating for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on Capitol Hill alongside members of the National TPS Alliance. Rooted in Matthew 5:14–15, the devotional reminds us that advocacy is not merely political strategy—it is Christian witness. When human stories are reduced to policy categories, followers of Christ are called to place the light of dignity, justice, and mercy where it can be seen.

As congregations across the Grand Canyon Synod continue to engage issues of immigration and public policy, this reflection offers theological grounding for faithful presence in the public square. We invite you to read and reflect on how God is calling you to place your light on the lampstand. Read the full devotional from ELCA Advocacy.

The ELCA’s Witness in Society team has shared an updated overview (Feb. 18, 2026) of sign-on letters—a timely advocacy tool that functions like a petition to members of Congress or other decision makers, often tied to an immediate issue or impending vote. These letters help educate leaders, name shared faith-rooted values, and urge specific action—often alongside ecumenical and interfaith partners.

The update also explains how the ELCA decides to sign on: careful analysis rooted in ELCA social teaching and policy priorities, attention to accuracy and tone (avoiding hyper-partisan language), and discernment about impact. The post includes a running list of recent ELCA-supported sign-on letters (last updated Feb. 12, 2026) with links to read each statement in full. Read more on the ELCA Advocacy blog.

ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices in Kansas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin are actively engaging 2026 legislative sessions with bold, faith-rooted advocacy. From defending immigrant neighbors and LGBTQ+ communities to advancing hunger relief, maternal health reform, voting rights, and anti-trafficking legislation, Lutheran leaders are mobilizing congregations and communities for public witness grounded in the belief that every person is made in the image of God.

These winter updates highlight rallies, lobby days, youth engagement, new advocacy resources (including a Lent curriculum on Faith and Civic Life), and growing interfaith coalitions. Read the full state-by-state update and explore how Lutheran advocacy continues to seek the well-being of all. Read the full update at ELCA.org.

The January 2026 issue of Advocacy Connections from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C., includes action alerts, resources, and updates on federal policy engagement. Expanded Policy Notes will return in an upcoming issue.

Readers are invited to read the current issue and subscribe to receive Advocacy Connections directly in their inbox. Read the January update →

As World AIDS Day approaches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) reports both remarkable progress and serious setbacks in HIV care. After a U.S. aid freeze abruptly ended a major USAID-funded youth HIV program that had reached over 250,000 people, ELCT’s ability to support medication adherence, nutrition, and follow-up care was sharply reduced—placing vulnerable communities at risk. With help from ELCA companions, some essential services are restarting, but need remains high.

Read more in ELCA Advocacy’s full update and take action by urging federal leaders to release critical global HIV/AIDS funds.

After a 43-day shutdown, the federal government reopened on Nov. 13, 2025. In response, the ELCA shared a message of gratitude with federal elected leaders while urging them to prioritize good governance, affordable healthcare, and strong support for programs that address hunger, poverty, and illness. The statement lifts up our Lutheran conviction that government is called to serve the common good and protect human dignity.

Learn more about this message, including specific policy priorities and ways congregations can engage, by reading the full statement from ELCA Advocacy.

From Florida to Wisconsin, ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices are lifting a strong faith voice in the public square. Highlights include Florida Faith Advocacy Days in Tallahassee, Kansas Interfaith Action’s voter engagement and immigration advocacy, new interfaith coalitions in New Jersey, bold public witness in Pennsylvania, gun violence prevention and hunger work through Texas Impact, and renewed advocacy in Wisconsin around hunger, clean water, and care for homeless youth. Read the full article on the ELCA Advocacy blog: Fall Updates: State Edition.

ELCA Advocacy has announced the 2025–2026 Hunger Advocacy Fellows, a new class of six emerging leaders committed to advancing faith-based public policy and hunger justice. Serving across the country—in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and New York—these Fellows bring expertise in law, communications, sociology, theology, and global governance. Over the coming year, they will engage in professional development, faith formation, and advocacy that reflects the ELCA’s call to serve neighbors and strive for a just world where all are fed.

Read more about the Fellows and their stories at ELCA.org.

The ELCA is urging Congress and the White House to return to bipartisan negotiations immediately as the U.S. faces a potential government shutdown on October 1, 2025. In a statement released Sept. 24, the ELCA stressed that government is a gift from God meant to serve the common good—especially the hungry, sick, and poor—and warned that both a shutdown and rising healthcare costs will harm the most vulnerable first and worst. Read the full statement from the ELCA’s Witness in Society team by clicking here.