Report on the Leadership Development Initiative

to the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly

Download the complete report 

Overview
In April 2005, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America designated $2,050,000 in unspent budget funds from fiscal year 2004 and previously designated funds, specifically to support leadership development and mission related to strengthening this church's commitment to ethnic-specific, multicultural, public life, evangelism, and young adults in global mission. In a collaborative ministry with synods, seminaries, established multicultural communities in the ELCA, staff of the churchwide organization and a variety of other partners, some 19 ministry projects were funded.

An audit of the leadership components of the ethnic ministry and Evangelism Strategies was conducted in September 2005 and revised May 2007. This report also included information from a Study of Leadership in the ELCA conducted by the Research and Evaluation section (see Appendix A within report).

A Leadership Development Working Group for Ethnic Ministry and Evangelism Strategies was convened and has met quarterly since June 2005 to coordinate the leadership development components of the strategies. This working group developed a profile for ELCA leaders along with qualities for leaders of healthy congregations. These working documents continue to be vetted with partners and among the ethnic-specific communities. It is planned that the documents will be included in conversations with seminaries, synodical bishops, the Vocation and Education unit, and the Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit as these partners continue to develop profiles for seminary students, mission developers, and other ELCA leaders (see Appendix B within report).

Listed within the report is information about selected ministry projects. These projects are exemplary of the variety of projects funded.