CONTACT:
Jackie Nelson
Lutheran Social Service
651/969-2286
ELCA Bishop Peter Rogness to
Receive Movement of Hope Award
Bishop Peter Rogness is on a
mission to end poverty. His passion and urgency have not gone unnoticed.
On Sunday, November 19, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota will present
its first Movement of Hope Award to Bishop Rogness at Christ Lutheran
Church in St. Paul to recognize his leadership and commitment on poverty
initiatives.
Lutheran Social Service
wants to use the award to applaud the bishop’s efforts that reflect LSS’
mission of service to Minnesotan’s most vulnerable citizens.
“He’s shed an enormous
spotlight on poverty and helped Minnesotans to see that it’s possible to
end poverty for children and families in our state,” said Mark Peterson,
President/CEO for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. “He’s also stood
with international leaders to make a public appeal for governments to step
up and stand together against extreme poverty. We’ve marveled at his
passion and ability to galvanize people of all faiths and backgrounds to
view poverty as a moral issue, and to see that we can end poverty if we
just have the will.”
In January 2005, Bishop
Rogness joined with Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Catholic Archdiocese of
St. Paul-Minneapolis on a Poverty Tour of the Twin Cities. Since then,
he’s written newspaper editorials, testified at the Legislature, and
moderated numerous community discussions on poverty. He was among
religious leaders from the United States and the United Kingdom who
participated in the G-8 Summit in 2005. He also authored the Common
Foundation: Shared Principles for Overcoming Poverty, which was endorsed
by more than 30 religious leaders around Minnesotan and used to draft
legislation for the new Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020 in
Minnesota. The commission’s work begins in January.
