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ELCA's St. Olaf College awarded for energy efficiency
Jun 29, 2009  

by Carrie Draeger, ELCA News Service

St. Olaf College was named Minnesota's second most energy efficient business by Xcel Energy.  The public utility company recognized 10 companies and organizations for their efforts to conserve energy.  St. Olaf, located in Northfield, Minn., is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

St. Olaf saved 6.91 million kilowatt-hours of electricity last year. The other recipients for electric efficiency saved a combined 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity -- enough to power 36 big box retail stores, Xcel said in a recent press release.  St. Olaf was also awarded the top spot for natural gas efficiency with 417,840 therms saved.

The bulk of St. Olaf's energy savings came from Regents Hall -- a new 200,000 square-foot science building.  The building uses lighting and temperature control systems that reduce energy use in empty spaces, fewer fume hoods, and reflective roofing materials that reduces the need for air conditioning.  All reduce energy consumption, according to the St. Olaf Web page on the building.
 

With world hunger on the rise, Lutherans set to respond, hunger leader says
Jun 25, 2009  

by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service

According to a June report of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), hunger is increasing. World hunger is predicted to reach "a historic high" in 2009 with more than 1.02 billion people experiencing hunger every day. That's 100 million people more than 2008. The FAO attributes the increase in hunger to soaring food prices and the global economic downturn.

"Thirty-five years ago the world faced a similar challenge, rising food prices and decreased income in poorer nations. In response, Lutherans chose to birth an appeal for world hunger," said the Rev. Daniel Rift, director, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) World Hunger Appeal. "Over that time the percent of the world's population at risk by lack of food has been cut in half, and the number of people with adequate access to food has nearly doubled. That is the good news," he said. "The FAO's analysis is that there is enough food in production to feed the world's population. That too is good news. The challenge is that the economic crisis and the high price of food have, as the FAO said, proved to be a devastating combination for the world's most vulnerable populations."

Rift said the FAO report is a call to action for those who care for people living in poverty. Lutherans "are well positioned to respond to the call," he said. The ELCA World Hunger Appeal is aimed at relief and support for development that creates sustainable solutions to ending hunger. "Seed banks, water projects, livestock sharing, small loans and market assistance are hallmarks of our work," Rift said. He suggested that congregations continue to respond by adding some activity this year to examine the current state of the world's food needs and to benefit ELCA World Hunger. "I believe this is a matter of faithfulness. The church needs to be present in bringing daily bread to the world, and the world needs the church to be present in its time of food crisis," he said.

 

ELCA plans Lent, Holy Week services retreats across country
Jun 25, 2009    

by Carrie L. Draeger, ELCA News Service*

Retreat-style events will take place this summer to give Lutheran pastors and lay leaders a fresh view of Holy Week services. They are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) "Worship at the Center 2009" events said Scott Weidler, associate director for worship and music, ELCA Worship and Liturgical Services.  The first event was held June 15-18 at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn. "I left motivated to share the information in my home congregation," said Janet Dembo, Harlingen, Texas, who attended the first event.

Each retreat consists of liturgies for Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the vigil of Easter.  After services, small- and large-group sharing provides for "an opportunity for focusing on pastoral, theological, musical or artistic and practical concerns," Weidler said.  The final retreats are June 29-July 2 at Messiah Lutheran Church, Fairview Park, Ohio; and July 7-10 at Christ Lutheran Church, Long Beach, Calif.  Online registration closes the Thursday before the first day of the retreats, but walk-in registrations are welcome, Weidler said.

The format gives participants a chance to step out of their normal leadership roles and experience Holy Week from the pews, Weidler said.  "You experience things very differently as a worshipper," he said.  Weidler hopes that participants will get useful ideas from the retreats, not a set way of how the services should go.  "These (services) don't have to look and sound exactly the same from congregation to congregation," he said.

* Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
 

Jon Anderson re-elected bishop of ELCA Southwestern Minnesota Synod
Jun 17, 2009    

By Carrie L. Draeger, ELCA News Service*

The Rev. Jon V. Anderson was elected June 12 to a second term as bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Anderson was re-elected on the first ballot for bishop, receiving 488 of the 623 votes cast at the synod assembly at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.  The other 135 votes were cast for the Rev. Scott M. Grorud, a pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, Hutchinson, Minn. Gustavus Adolphus is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities. Anderson and Grorud were the only nominees.

Anderson, 49, was born in Glenwood, Minn. He earned a bachelor's degree in religion from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., in 1981.  Anderson earned a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., in 1985.  St. Olaf College is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; Luther Seminary is one of eight ELCA seminaries.  Anderson served as a pastor of Lutheran congregations in New Ulm, Minn., St. Cloud, Minn., and as an associate pastor in Houston before being elected bishop in 2003.

Anderson and his wife Robyn are parents of three children and live in New Ulm, Minn.  The Southwestern Minnesota Synod has 133,094 baptized members in 269 congregations.  The synod office is in Redwood Falls, Minn.

* Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
 

Ralph Dunkin re-elected bishop of ELCA West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod
Jun 10, 2009    

By Carrie L. Draeger, ELCA News Service*

The Rev. Ralph W. Dunkin was elected June 5 to his third term as bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Dunkin was re-elected on the first ballot, garnering 113 of the 137 votes cast at the synod assembly June 5-6 in McHenry, Maryland.  There were nine names on the nominating ballot.

Dunkin, 58, was born in Pittsburgh.  He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Thiel College, Greenville, Pa. in 1972.  In 1976 Dunkin earned a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG), Gettysburg, Pa.  Thiel College is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; LTSG is one of eight ELCA seminaries.  Dunkin served as the pastor of Lutheran congregations in Grafton and Wheeling, both in West Virginia, before being elected bishop in 1997.

Dunkin and his wife Teresa are the parents of two adult children and live in Wheeling, W.Va.  The West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod has 15,810 baptized members in 65 congregations in West Virginia, and one county in Maryland.  The synod office is in Fairmont, W.Va.

* Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.

 

Leonard Bolick re-elected bishop of ELCA North Carolina Synod
Jun 10, 2009  

By Carrie L. Draeger, ELCA News Service*

The Rev. Leonard H. Bolick was elected to his third term as bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) June 5 during the synod assembly June 4-6 in Hickory, N.C.  Bolick was re-elected on the second ballot, receiving 442 of the 544 votes cast.  There we 58 names on the nominating ballot.  The next highest vote-getters were the Rev. Larry J. Yoder with 37 votes, and the Rev. S. Craig Bollinger with 14 votes.  Yoder is a professor of religion at Lenoir-Rhyne University and Bollinger is a pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Charlotte, N.C.  Lenoir-Rhyne is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities and was the site of the North Carolina Synod Assembly this year.

Bolick, 62, was born in Lenoir, N.C.  He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. in 1968. In 1972 Bolick earned a master of divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C., one of eight ELCA seminaries.  Bolick holds doctor of ministry degrees from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, and from the Graduate Theological Foundation, Donaldson, Ind.

Bolick and his wife Rita are the parents of two grown children and live in Salisbury, N.C.  The North Carolina Synod has 83,083 baptized members in 234 congregations.  The synod office is in Salisbury.

* Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.

Gregory Pile re-elected bishop of ELCA Allegheny Synod
Jun 09, 2009  

By John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service

The Rev. Gregory R. Pile was elected June 5 to a fourth term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Allegheny Synod during the synod assembly June 4-6 in Altoona, Pa.  Pile was re-elected on the first ballot, receiving 217 votes of 258 cast. Eighteen nominees were on the first ballot.

Pile, 60, was born in Somerset, Pa.  In 1971 he earned a bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa.  In 1975 Pile earned a master of divinity degree at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG).  Gettysburg College is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; LTSG is one of eight ELCA seminaries.  Pile served as pastor of Lutheran congregations in New Centerville and Davidsville, both in Pennsylvania, before he was elected bishop.

Pile and his wife Barbara are parents of three adult children.  They reside in Davidsville, Pa. The ELCA Allegheny Synod has 40,514 baptized members in 127 congregations across seven counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.  The synod office is in Altoona, Pa.

ELCA saves $167,000 on 2009 health benefits costs so far
Jun 05, 2009  

by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service*

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is saving up to $167,000 this year on health benefits costs because of discounts from the ELCA Board of Pensions, Minneapolis, according to the Board's May 28 news release.  The ELCA's 65 synods, eight seminaries and other churchwide ministries are eligible for the discounts. They earn 2 percent discounts on ELCA health contributions when 75 percent of their respective employees and spouses, who receive ELCA-primary health benefits, complete an online Mayo Clinic Health Assessment.

Reaching the 75 percent mark in April were the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, Rice Lake, which saved $40,000; Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago ($13,000) and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa ($11,000). They join the ELCA Board of Pensions ($43,000); Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. ($33,000); Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa. ($10,000); Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C. ($8,000); and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio ($9,000), which earned discounts for 2009.

Plan members and spouses who complete the health assessment receive a $100 credit that goes into a personal wellness account to offset out-of-pocket medical costs. The ELCA Board of Pensions said it developed the financial incentive to encourage the health plan's eligible pastors, church workers and spouses to tend to their well-being by using health benefits proactively. The 2009 Mayo Clinic Health Assessment is open to plan members through Sept. 30.

*Information provided by Kami Lund, marketing and communications, ELCA Board of Pensions

 

ELCA task force continues study on criminal justice issues
Jun 04, 2009  

by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service

The Criminal Justice Task Force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met May 29-30 in Chicago to receive input from specialists and plan its work.  The task force is developing a social statement on criminal justice that will address social concerns and provide a biblical and theological framework for discussion among Lutherans.  A study guide, to be made available to the church in winter 2010-2011, will help lay the groundwork for a draft statement.  The 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is expected to consider the proposed social statement.

Cynthia Osborne said task force members represent "a remarkable diversity of expertise and perspective in criminal justice -- prosecutors, defenders and judges, theologians and other academic scholars, service providers, victim and human rights advocates, and system reform experts.  Beyond their professional roles and expertise, the task force members bring a wealth of life experiences as well."  Osborne is chair of the task force and vice president of strategic initiatives and program development, Lutheran Services in America, Baltimore.  She said many members of the task force can also speak with a personal voice.  "The work of this task force is timely, as we are increasingly reminded in the media about the unsustainably high rates of incarceration in the United States, about the ineffectiveness of incarceration in reducing crime, and about the growing awareness of the need for comprehensive reform."

Osborne said the first step of the task force is to study and deliberate, "examining the issues broadly and deeply, with a commitment to making room for all points of view and always with the knowledge that the role of the task force isn't to solve our country's challenges in criminal justice, but to discern the appropriate voice and role of the church in addressing the complex issues related to criminal justice."  She said the period of intensive study, which includes reading, learning from one another and from external experts, and engaging ELCA members in dialogue, will continue until winter 2010.
 

ELCA synod bishop, U.S. senator focus on reuniting immigrant families
May 26, 2009  

by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service, Chicago

The Rev. H. Julian Gordy, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Southeastern Synod, Atlanta, is supporting the Reuniting Families Act, a bill being reintroduced to Congress by Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).  Gordy said the bill is an "important piece of legislation (that) advances the common good by enabling family members to reunite with their loved ones more quickly and by reducing hardship faced by families at risk of being separated and those who are separated."  Gordy and Menendez spoke during a May 20 telephone briefing hosted by the Asian American Justice Center, Washington, D.C.  Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) issued a statement that day featuring Gordy's comments.  LIRS is a cooperative agency of the ELCA, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  It is the national agency established by these churches to "carry out their ministry with uprooted people."

"As Lutheran leaders in the United States who recognize the importance of the family in building strong communities, we are deeply concerned that the U.S. immigration system keeps families apart for years and sometimes decades," Gordy said.  "We see the strain of this separation on American families and communities, particularly during tough economic times."  Gordy said the current family-based immigration system requires adult siblings of U.S. citizens to wait 10 and up to 20 years to reunite.  "As faith leaders who provide ministry and service to families world- and nationwide, we see no benefit to anyone when families are separated for this long," he said.

At the briefing, Menendez said he strongly supports the Reuniting Families Act because "family unity is a cornerstone of our society and something that all Americans equally value."  He said the bill is about legal immigrants reuniting with their families, focusing "on making sure that we reform America's family-based immigration systems to end lengthy separation of love ones and to promote family stability and foster economic growth that immigrant families have provided throughout our history as a country."  The current system has not been updated in 20 years, Menendez said.  The bill would work to "build strong communities," he said. "Legal immigrants who have the support of strong families are more likely to work hard, pay taxes, (and) start businesses that create jobs."  Menendez added that the bill would also protect children, widows and widowers, protecting "people who have already applied for a family visa from losing their place in line after the death of a relative."  "I just think that on all of the core values that we as Americans share, this legislation (hits) squarely on all of those values, and I'm looking forward to its success this year."