We are freed in Christ to serve, love and care for our neighbor, and in this work we strive to ensure that all people have a livelihood that is sufficient to meet their basic needs and is sustainable in creation. The issues associated with economic life and economic justice include poverty versus wealth, corporate social responsibility, hunger, consumerism, international debt relief, gambling, racism, sexism, community development and worker exploitation. Grounded in God’s love and forgiveness, we are equipped to live and serve here and now, in the world, with all its complexities, tensions and ambiguities.

Our social statement, Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, conveys ELCA teaching that economic activity is a means through which God’s will is served for the well-being of humankind and the care of the earth. It recognizes that even though sin distorts human activity, we are called to practice economic activity justly and with special concern for those who live in poverty.