CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 11,000 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have been challenged to start 2,000 new congregations between 2000 and 2020. The Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive director of the ELCA's Division for Outreach, told the ELCA Church Council that existing congregations can "take advantage of doing mission that is close at hand."
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between meetings of the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly. The council met here Nov. 13-16. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is August 16-22, 1999, in Denver.
Magnus said congregations will be invited to work with the Division for Outreach in every aspect of starting a new congregation -- recruit potential pastors and other congregational leaders, commit finances and other physical and spiritual resources, and place the project in God's hands through regular prayer. The sponsoring congregation can expect these activities also to have a positive effect on its own health and mission, he said.
"Aside from that goal of 2,000 new congregations, we also have to remind ourselves that existing congregations are mission outreach posts," the Rev. Julius Carroll IV, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Oakland, Calif., board chair of the ELCA Division for Outreach, said in an interview. "The fastest way to grow the church numerically is by starting new congregations."
Carroll suggested that many congregations could establish "satellite ministries" for members who travel long distances to attend worship services. The congregations could serve those members by offering programs in remote locations, and those programs could develop into new congregations.
"We understand that there are thousands of churches that probably have the financial and spiritual resources to help this church grow by establishing new congregations," said Carroll. "We are challenging the church to use those resources."
For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director (773) 380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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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 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
