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The History of LENS From May 15-18, 1997, more than 250 delegates from a variety of Orthodox and Protestant traditions, as well as some other visitors, attended the Eco-Justice Working Group Summit in Estes Park, Colorado. Meeting at the scenic, rustic YMCA of the Rockies, they exchanged ideas, shared experiences, and worshiped together in their common mission of honoring God's creation. Among those delegates were two dozen members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As the conference allowed one hour each day for denominational gatherings, some people discussed in advance the need to use the ELCA's denominational gatherings to build a network among synodical environmental committees. Such a grassroots network had never before existed, but Region 5, which consists of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, had had experience with organizing a regional training retreat and maintaining some communication among synodical efforts concerning environmental stewardship. Jim Schwab, the chair of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod's Environmental Concerns Working Group, conferred with various people, including Dr. Job Ebenezer, who was the ELCA's Director of Environmental Stewardship at this time, about the possibilities inherent in planning such a nationwide network. When the delegates met, everyone was almost immediately in agreement on the necessity of charting such an effort before they left Estes Park. In four hours of meetings over four days, they developed a mission statement and mapped out ideas for future action. To see delegates who attended the founding LENS meetings are listed here. At the NCC Eco-Justice conference in Washington DC in 2001, a group of earthkeepers from the ELCA again met in caucus to plan and vision their work. They met about filling the position left by Job Ebenezer at churchwide, in addition to naming four primary goals for LENS:
In addition, the group began to organize the website and listserv, organized ways to connect with other Lutheran justice organizations and began working to change ecological practices in the ELCA. For more information, full notes from the 2001 Washington, DC meeting are listed here. The Caring for Creation Now Consultation was held in Mundelein, Illinois on November 5-7, 2003. Sixty persons representing various synods, congregations and interests within the ELCA attended the consultation. Eleven Churchwide staff members also were present. The consultation began by affirming the Social Statement, yet seeking ways to make it more effective in creating change. During the consultation, passion quickly turned to participatory action. Citing the need for more resources, a Caring for Creation liturgy was developed and work begun on a sample synod resolution making environmental concerns a priority issue of the ELCA. Workgroups were formed. Information sharing among a growing network will be accomplished through the Lutheran Earthkeeping Network of the Synods (LENS) listserv and web page hosted on the Web of Creation website as well as through ELCA Division for Church in Society and Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs web and print communications. Notes the Consultation on the Tenth Anniversary of the Caring for Creation Statement held November 5-7, 2003 in Mundelein, Illinois are here: Statement of the Consultation "Caring for Creation...for the Healing of the World."Report from the Consultation and Agenda for Caring for Creation Churchwide Consultation In January 2005, a small of group of LENS members gathered together for a organizational meeting in Mundelein, Illinois. At this conference, much strategizing as well as planning for the Fall gathering took place. In October of 2005, a group of earthkeepers from throughout the ELCA gathered together in Minneapolis, Minnesota, hoping to and achieving five primary goals. In our time together we:
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