ELCA News

North American Church Leaders Call for Peace in Holy Land in Advent Prayer Resource

11/29/2023

CHICAGO — The leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and The Episcopal Church (TEC) have released the Churches Beyond Borders 2023 Advent Cycle of Prayer.

The prayer resource calls for justice and peace, especially for churches impacted by the war in the Holy Land, and for lifting up Palestinian Christian communities and ministries and the congregations and institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

In a letter to accompany the Advent resource the leaders write, "We call, and pray for, an end to the war in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank. We call for a ceasefire, an end to violence in the West Bank and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza."

The church leaders contributed prayers for the four Sundays of Advent, focusing on the themes truth, justice, peace and hope.

View / Download the Churches Beyond Borders 2023 Advent Cycle of Prayer.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

North American and Holy Land Heads of Churches Meet in Solidarity, Prayer

11/17/2023

On Nov. 16, the North American heads of Churches Beyond Borders met online with their Lutheran and Episcopal counterparts in the Holy Land for a time of solidarity and prayer.

The six participating heads of churches included Archbishop Hosam Naoum of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, Bishop Doctor Sani Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Archbishop Linda Nicholls of the Anglican Church of Canada, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of The Episcopal Church, National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The six churches renewed their commitment to mutual accompaniment, solidarity and prayer as a witness to Christ's justice and peace, uniting our churches beyond all borders. This meeting, originally planned as an in-person visit, was held online; the postponed trip will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Churches Beyond Borders is an ecumenical partnership in North America, or Turtle Island, which includes the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), The Episcopal Church (TEC), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

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ELCA Church Council appoints the Rev. Michael Burk as Presiding Bishop Pro Tempore

11/15/2023

CHICAGO — The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) appointed the Rev. Michael Burk as presiding bishop pro tempore after its Executive Committee approved Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's request for a four- to six-month leave of absence, to begin Nov. 17. The council, which serves as the ELCA churchwide organization's board of directors and interim legislative authority between meetings of a churchwide assembly, gathered at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, Nov. 9-12.

The council took the following actions:

Reelected Lori Fedyk to a second six-year term as ELCA treasurer, beginning Feb. 1, 2024.
Elected the Rev. Benjamin B. Bergren to the Church Council for a term ending August 2025; he fills a vacancy left by the Rev. Karn Carroll, who has resigned.
Approved a current-fund spending authorization of $68,083,962 for the 2024 fiscal year.
Approved the 2024 ELCA World Hunger spending authorization of $26 million, provided that the fund balance exceeds $10 million as of Jan. 31, 2024.
Approved the emphasis of fundraising priorities to these areas: Where Needed Most, ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and Future Church: God's Love Made Real.
Approved a continuing resolution amendment that allows for a pre-assembly identification process in the election of the presiding bishop.
Authorized formation of a task force to assist the council and administrative team in exploring needed changes to budget work and churchwide priorities. The task force will report to the council at the spring 2024 Church Council meeting.
Approved a motion that the Church Council will intentionally participate in racial justice education at every meeting.
Deferred reconsidering selected passages in the social message "End-of-Life Decisions" until after the 2023-2024 development cycle for social messages.
Acknowledged the Order of Lutheran Franciscans as an independent Lutheran organization relating to the Christian Community and Leadership home area.
Approved an amendment to personnel policies to establish Indigenous People's Day as a churchwide organization holiday.

In other business the council:

Received an update on the work of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC) and engaged in a listening session.
Received updates and engaged in discussion on churchwide organization priorities and developments, including a Barna Group / Fuller study on the Future Church: God's Love Made Real movement.
Received a report on the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility audit of the ELCA's governing documents. The full report is available here.
Received reports from the church's presiding bishop, secretary, treasurer and vice president; the ELCA Conference of Bishops; the churchwide organization administrative team and home areas; and Church Council committees.
Received an update on the ELCA's Peace Not Walls Campaign.
Received an update on the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger.
Discussed the Quality of Call Initiative for Women in Ministry.
Held a prayer vigil for peace in the Holy Land, hosted by the Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage.
Received ecumenical greetings from the Rev. Mark Goodman, ecumenical liaison of The Episcopal Church.

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Announcement

11/09/2023

November 9, 2023

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Church Council Executive Committee approved Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton's request for a 4-to-6-month leave of absence. Her leave starts Nov. 17, 2023.

The Church Council appointed former bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, the Rev. Michael Burk, as Presiding Bishop Pro Tem to care for the responsibilities of the presiding bishop during her leave of absence. We give thanks for Bishop Eaton's tireless dedication and leadership and pray for her during this time of rest and rejuvenation.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

A Statement from Bishop Eaton on the Conflict in the Holy Land

10/26/2023

Dear church,

The ELCA's commitments call on us to denounce unequivocally any attacks — past, present or future — by any party that lead to civilians becoming victims. Our hearts are with all those who have been killed or injured, and with their families and friends.

With an anticipated ground invasion, the most urgent need is for an immediate cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gazans. Our advocacy as a church continues, guided by our long accompaniment of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and our commitments as a church to peace, justice, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and collaboration.

In these days of continued grief and distress over the horrific attack by Hamas on Israelis and the largely indiscriminate Israeli military response affecting civilians in Gaza, we lament with all who mourn and live in fear.

We believe that God is the one who makes "wars to cease to the end of the earth" (Psalm 46:9).

In Christ,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

Here are worship resources and ways that you can be involved in advocacy. Join a prayer vigil hosted by Churches for Middle East Peace.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

ELCA presiding bishop issues statement on Israel-Hamas war

10/13/2023

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?" —Psalm 22:1

Dear church,
As Lutherans, we are accustomed to holding tension between two truths. Thus the ELCA denounces the egregious acts of Hamas, acts that have led to unspeakable loss of life and hope. At the same time the ELCA denounces the indiscriminate retaliation of Israel against the Palestinian people, both Christian and Muslim.

For the past week we have borne witness to the horrors of the escalating crisis between Israel and Hamas. We also watch a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as Israel blocks food, water, fuel and medical supplies and as airstrikes continue to cause unbearable civilian casualties ahead of a just-announced ground assault. We see Israelis and families around the world in the agonizing wait for word about the fate of loved ones killed or taken hostage by Hamas. We are in anguish, grieving and praying for all people who are living in trauma, fear and uncertainty.

Among us are Palestinian Lutherans who are fearful for their families, their communities and their homeland. In our communities we have Jewish and Muslim neighbors, who are also facing the horrors of this crisis and its impact on their loved ones.

It is difficult to find words that suffice in the complexity of this moment, and in the web of relationships that bind us together, as church, with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and our interreligious partners. Yet God has called us to be a people who stand with others amid suffering.

We must also call a thing a thing. The power exerted against all Palestinian people — through the occupation, the expansion of settlements and the escalating violence — must be called out as a root cause of what we are witnessing. We are committed to our long-standing accompaniment of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

The God who liberates us calls us to be a liberating witness. May it be so.

In Christ,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Things you can do:

Find updated resources and statements from the ELCA here.
Join our partner Churches for Middle East Peace for prayer every Wednesday from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Eastern time. Register here.
Call your lawmakers today through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and urge them to take action to deescalate the conflict and uphold unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza. Find your member of Congress at govtrak.
Support Lutheran Disaster Response here.

You may notice that we sometimes publicize statements and other information from organizations of which we are members. We will never share information that did not go through our internal vetting process, so you should feel free to share such information on behalf of your church.

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For information contact:
Jocelyn Fuller
Sr. Director, Strategic Communications
Jocelyn.Fuller@ELCA.org