Be careful what you read, it can change your life!

In 2006 a book changed the minds and hearts of members of a congregation in South St. Louis city. Dr. Mark Manary, a pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, agreed to lead an adult class at his home church, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO. He wanted to study and discuss Jeffrey Sachs’ 2005 book, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. Mr. Sachs has been called the world’s most influential living economist.

Over the course of that spring and summer a group of Gethsemane members met and learned about Mr. Sachs’ view of the world economy, how and why wealth has diverged across the planet and why the poorest countries have been unable to escape extreme poverty. They discussed the issues faced by these nations and the possible solutions that can bring the end to poverty in the world’s poorest countries by 2015.

This book so energized and inspired these readers that they asked, “What now?” The answer to that question for us was: The ONE Campaign, the campaign to make poverty history. Gethsemane members discovered that Gethsemane could become a ONE ELCA congregation and become involved in spreading information and support for the movement to raise public awareness about the issue of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world’s poorest countries. The ONE Campaign lobbies U.S. leaders to allocate one percent of the federal budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food to transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation.

During the past year and a half, Gethsemane ONE members have

• Joined with the local St. Louis ONE chapter to call on Missouri Senators Kit Bond’s and Claire McCaskill’s offices
• Sponsored a ONE information table at the Central States Synod Assembly in June, 2007
• Worked with ONE St. Louis on a “Stand Up Against Poverty” event at a local university in October, 2007
• Provided educational opportunities for adults and children at Gethsemane concerning global poverty
• Provided letter-writing opportunities for Gethsemane members to contact legislators on The Farm Bill and The Jubilee Act

Gethsemane Lutheran Church Members Join Community to
Stand Up Against Poverty, Stand Up for the Millennium Development Goals
Webster University, St. Louis, Mo. -- October 17, 2007

In the coming year, Gethsemane ONE plans to continue these efforts and to sponsor a ONE resolution at the 2008 Central States Synod Assembly.

Individuals and congregations can learn more about becoming a ONE Lutheran, the ONE Campaign and becoming a ONE ELCA congregation at www.elca.org/advocacy/one.

Linda Ford
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, ELCA
St. Louis, MO
December 21, 2007

“Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.” Psalm 82:3