ELCA and LCMS Youth Encourage Dialogue Between Church Bodies

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (ELCA)-- More than 300 young Lutherans passed a resolution "to affirm the Lutheran Student Movement-USA's (LSM) support of both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and to encourage further dialogue between the ELCA and LCMS on how greater ecclesiastical unity might be achieved."
The youth participated in a national ecumenical christian student gathering here Dec. 30-Jan 3. The gathering, "Back 2 Faith: Faithful Living in a New Millennium," brought together more than 1,300 students from church, private and state colleges and universities across the United States for five days of worship, Bible study, workshops, celebrations and small group sessions.
LSM-USA met separately in convention to vote on resolutions and to elect officers.
The resolution was proposed in response to an LCMS convention action which questioned ecumenical proposals approved by the ELCA's 1997 Churchwide Assembly and called them "very troubling decisions."
The Assembly voted to enter into a relationship of "full communion" with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ.
"LSM-USA recognizes the ELCA and LCMS as true expressions of the Lutheran reforming tradition in the church catholic," said the resolution.
The resolution "urges the ELCA and LCMS to engage in discussion upon how greater ecclesiastical unity might be achieved."
Copies of the resolution will be forwarded to the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA and the Rev. A.L. Barry, LCMS president.
The convention elected Kelly Schuerman, Madison, S. D., a student at Dakota State University as LSM-USA president. =20
"I've been involved with LSM-USA since the fall of 1994 and have served on many local and regional councils. I had thought about running for national president while serving as the Tri-Otas Region Representative for 1998. I'm excited about the position and serving as national president of the organization that has done so much for me," Schuerman said.=20
" LSM has always been an excellent way for students to share their faith with one another, but I also think that LSM can be a medium for students to become leaders, not only in the church, but in society," he said. =20
"Past councils have made a commitment to the financial future of LSM to ensure that it will be around for generations to come, and now is the time to build leadership development so that those generations have leaders and can become leaders. The 1999 National Council will focus on rebuilding the Leadership Development Workshop program to go along with the LSM Endowment Fund in solidifying the future of our ministry," said Schuerman.
Russell Peek, Rock Hill, S.C., a student at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, S.C., was elected secretary; and Marcos de Jesus, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, was elected secretary for international and multicultural concerns. =20
The Rev. Christopher S. Heavner, campus pastor at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., was presented with the LSM-USA's Honorary Lifetime Member award. Heavner served as the National Council LSM-USA's first secretary for international concerns (1977-78). He served as LSM national staff person (1978-79), an intern and traveling secretary in the '70s and advisor to the organization's Gulf-Atlantic Region (1994-95).=20 Heavner serves as campus ministry advisor to the Lutheran Student Movement. =20
"I grew up about 65 miles from this place; it was a wonderful place to grow up, but it was a very isolated place, a very rural place. It was Lutheran Student Movement that enabled me to see the world that I would not have seen otherwise. I am eternally thankful for the opportunity that God gave me, through this organization, to see the world," Heavner said.
LSM-USA presented the Rev. Jayne Thompson, campus pastor at Kansas State University, Manhattan, with the Hess Pearson Award. This award is given annually to a campus minister "who shows exemplary dedication and service to the Lutheran Student Movement."
The award is named in memory of two Lutheran students who died in an automobile accident on their way to an LSM retreat in 1985.
Eleven of the 12 regions that make up LSM-USA held elections to choose regional representation. Elected to the LSM-USA National Council were:

Emily Moyer University of Virginia Charlottesville, =
Va.
Stephanie Lorenz Wayne State College Wayne, Neb.
Stefanie West Florida State University Tallahassee, Fl.
Amy Townshend Miami University Oxford, Ohio
Heather Hoffman Kutztown University Kutztown, Pa.
Jeff Kane Saint Anselm College Manchester, N.H.
Sandra Hansen Wartburg College Waverly, Iowa
Jenny Kleene Washington State University Pullman, Wash.
Cindy Ham California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, =
Calif.
John Salnaitis University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo.
Heather Overom University of Minnesota Twin Cities

LSM-USA is a Pan-Lutheran independent organization that is comprised of young adults from colleges and universities across the United = States.=20 Each year the ELCA's Division for Higher Education and Schools Department for Campus Ministry supports a student intern position to assist the efforts of the national Lutheran Student Movement.
"Each of the persons who have been selected for this position has become a leader in the church. Several have gone on to various vocations, such as journalism and medicine, callings through which they live out their faith while also participating as lay leaders in the building up and outreach of congregations," according to a Campus Ministry report to the division's board.
"The student leadership in LSM-USA represents the strong hope we have in the future into which God is leading the church. These leaders on campuses across this land are true disciples who are stewarding their gifts of the mind and acting in deeds which proclaim the reign of God. We feel privileged to work with them as partners in the gospel," said the Rev. James R. Carr, director for ELCA Campus Ministry.=20
The next LSM-USA national gathering will be held in Chicago, Dec. 30, 1999- Jan. 3, 2000, under the theme "whY2K? What time is it? Time to celebrate, reflect, dream and act."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html