Policies and Procedures of the ELCA for Addressing Social Concerns

ELCA Church Council Action CC04.11.56

Passed by the 2004 ELCA Church Council.

To receive the report and recommendations related to "Policies and Procedures of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns";

To acknowledge the report on the implementation of the social statement "Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor";

To postpone making changes in “Policies and Procedures of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns” until after action by the 2005 Churchwide Assembly on the governance structure of the churchwide organization;

To request that the churchwide unit responsible for the development of social statements bring a final report to the Church Council on the review of the document to the April 2006 meeting of the Church Council; and

To anticipate that the report will detail ways in which the participation of the conference of Bishops, through its Theology and Ethics Committee, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Council, through its Program and Services Committee, will be strengthened in the process of addressing social concerns in the future.