How the Social Message was Developed

Consultation
A small consultation was held on January 15, 2010, at the churchwide office in Chicago to consider issues around human disability and discuss preliminary ideas for what the message might look like.

Draft
The draft message was available on this Web site. Interested people were invited to share their comments and criticisms through August 15, 2010.

Proposed Social Message
These responses informed the work on a proposed text of the message, written during late summer and early fall of 2010.

Review
The proposed message was reviewed by the Program Committee of Church in Society, by the Theology and Ethics Committee of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, and by the Program and Services Committee of the ELCA Church Council.

Recommended Proposed Social Message
The ELCA Church Council considered the proposed message at its November 12-14 meeting and unanimously adopted "People Living with Disabilities," and asked the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to "lift up and acknowledge" the message.