The ELCA has adopted a social message about gun-related violence and trauma. Social messages are ELCA teaching documents that draw from existing social teaching but throw a fuller and sharper spotlight on a particular social issue. The message's themes focus on trauma, public health, and an ethic of shared responsibility for peacemaking, seeking to move beyond the strict polarization of gun rights vs. gun control.
You can read the social message here. This is the official text, but it has not yet gone through graphic design. A version in the official ELCA format will be coming soon, along with a Spanish translation and study guide.
The ELCA Church Council voted unanimously to adopt the social message on April 13, 2024. Before the social message was adopted, it went through a public feedback process. To read the official report on the public feedback, click here.
