A Letter from Carlos Peña

Carlos Peña, ELCA vice president, asks members to think of the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly "as a catalyst to further strengthen our church and our relationships with each other."

The "resurrection" Peña experienced in Galveston after Hurricane Ike inspired him to write a letter to the ELCA, reminding the church of its mission in God’s world.

More  |  Read Letter

ELCA, LCMS Continue Shared Ministries

Leaders of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) agreed they will continue their longtime cooperative ministries, despite differences regarding human sexuality.

The Lutheran leaders met Sept. 28-29 in Baltimore with top officials of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran Services in America and Lutheran World Relief.

More  |  ELCA Partners

Assembly Adopts UMC Full Communion

The 2009 Churchwide Assembly adopted a full communion agreement with the United Methodist Church (UMC) by a vote of 958-51. 

This is the ELCA's sixth full communion relationship and the first for the UMC.

UMC Bishop Gregory D. Palmer said, "God has brought both our churches to a broad place where Jesus calls us ... to all be one."

ELCA Task Force Continues Study on Criminal Justice Issues

The ELCA Criminal Justice Task Force is developing a social statement on criminal justice. "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," said Cynthia Osborne, task force chair.  More