CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Bible has a number of things to say about health, healing, illness and suffering. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) may conduct a study of those things as part of the development of a social statement on health care in the United States. The ELCA Division for Church in Society assembled an array of church, academic and health care professionals here July 11 for a day-long consultation on what direction that social statement should take.
Eighteen people -- physicians, medical scholars and ethicists, college professors, executives of health care facilities, a parish pastor and a bishop, a state public policy advocate, and staff of Lutheran Services in America (LSA) and the ELCA Division for Church in Society -- took the day to address four questions:
+ How do significant issues of access to health care and equity in
providing health care manifest themselves in your work or medical
practice?
+ What should the church be teaching and doing about health?
+ What emerging or unresolved bioethical issues are most important
for people who might benefit from health care and for society as a
whole?
+ What should be the most critical issues for the church to address,
and on which issues should the ELCA focus its efforts?
"They recommended that we first deal with some very basic theological questions about health and health care, illness and suffering," said the Rev. Ronald W. Duty, ELCA assistant director for studies. "Then, from that theological perspective, we can construct a vision of health and health care in this country," he said. "What would health look like from a Christian perspective, and what would health care look like?"
The ELCA has already committed itself to "working for a program of universal access to health care" in its 1993 "Plan to Listen and Act" with women and children living in poverty, said Duty. Consultation participants said the church could describe what it means by "universal access," equity and sustainable health care.
Consultants also suggested that ELCA congregations could consider their roles as "wellness centers," he said. Beyond congregations participating in parish nurse programs, there are reports of more congregations using the Lutheran liturgy "Service of the Word for Healing" on a regular basis.
"People who work in and run health care institutions have significant concerns about their personal Christian vocations," Duty said. A study would also give such Lutheran institutions a chance to re-examine their mission statements in light of their relationships to the church.
The ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August 1999 could authorize the Division for Church in Society to develop a social statement on on health care. A purpose of the consultation was "to get some input from outside the office" on focusing the topics for such a social statement. The division's board can request authorization of the assembly through the ELCA Church Council.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director 1-773-380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 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
