with LCMS, WELS, ELS money.
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
April 20, 2010
ELCA Ministries Among Possible Fund Recipients Through 'Thrivent Choice'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) are three of 10 choices listed as possible recipients of charitable funds through "Thrivent Choice" -- a new Thrivent Financial for Lutherans program. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Minneapolis, is the nation's largest fraternal benefit society.
As part of the program, members of Thrivent Financial will help choose where to direct up to $2 million between April 19 and May 21.
Thrivent Financial members age 16 and older will vote to distribute $1 million among 10 national charitable entities -- each selected based on input from Lutheran church leaders and members. If at least 350,000 members vote, Thrivent Financial will add an additional $1 million to the funds distributed, according to a Thrivent Financial news release.
At the end of the event, funds will be distributed to organizations based on the percentage of total votes received, stated the release.
"We deeply appreciate the inclusion of ELCA World Hunger as one of the highlighted opportunities for giving among Thrivent members," said the Rev. Daniel Rift, director, ELCA World Hunger. "This continues a long tradition of commitment of Thrivent members to the work of ELCA World Hunger," he said. ELCA World Hunger is a comprehensive program that uses multiple strategies to address the root causes of hunger and poverty.
"We will be faithful stewards of funds that will be shared with us through this opportunity to help bring help and healing to people affected by disaster," said the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, LDR director. LDR is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).
"We welcome the significant relationship between Thrivent and LMI. We look forward to growing in that relationship in the coming years as LMI unfolds in the church," said the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, coordinator for LMI and the ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS, ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop. LMI is a partnership of the ELCA, LCMS and Lutheran World Relief. The initiative is made possible in part through a partnership with the United Nations Foundation.
Thrivent Choice features an eleventh option called "Thrivent Financial Should Select" for members who may be undecided about which entity to support, according to Thrivent's news release. If members choose this option, Thrivent Financial will distribute the funds among the 10 participating organizations.
"Thrivent Choice gives our members a voice in how the dollars they help generate are shared with the causes they care about," said Brad Hewitt, Thrivent Financial president and CEO.
Thrivent Financial plans to launch a second aspect of Thrivent Choice in the summer called "Choice Dollars." In this program eligible Thrivent Financial members will be able to help direct funds to thousands of Lutheran nonprofit organizations, including Lutheran congregations, according to the release.
Thrivent Financial provides more than $100 million every year to help congregations, communities and individuals in need.
***
GJ - Let's get out the hankies for ELCA. World Hunger funds will go toward paying political lobbyists across America to work on Left-wing projects, such as gay marriage, abortion on demand, and infanticide. Killer Tiller was an ELCA doctor and ELCA pays for abortions with its health plan.
Lutheran Social Services promotes gay and lesbian adoptions.
WELS, Missouri, ELS, and CLC participation in Thrivent is an outrage.
And Thrivent has $100 million of your dollars for Habitat for Humanity. So buy your Thrivent policies so ELCA can survive. Have a heart, even if you lack a brain.
GJ -
