CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will meet in its biennial churchwide assembly Aug. 16-22 at the Denver Convention Center. Voting members will consider full communion agreements with the Episcopal Church and the Moravian Church in America, and will consider a proposed social statement on economic life.
The 1,039 voting members will gather under the theme "Making Christ Known: Hope for a New Century." The churchwide assembly is the chief legislative authority of the ELCA and represents the 5.2 million members of the ELCA, the fifth-largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will chair the assembly.
A key issue before the assembly is the proposed full communion agreement with the Episcopal Church, "Called to Common Mission (CCM)." It is a revision of the "Concordat of Agreement," a full communion proposal that fell six votes short of the required two-thirds for approval at the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Philadelphia.
CCM has generated some opposition in the ELCA, most of it over the inclusion of the "historic episcopate" in the document. The historic episcopate, an Episcopal institution, includes a succession of bishops as a sign of unity back to the earliest days of the church. The ELCA will incorporate the historic episcopate if CCM is approved. A copy of the proposal can be found on the World Wide Web at www.elca.org/ea/ccmintro.html.
Voting members will also consider "Following Our Shepherd to Full Communion," a full communion agreement with the Moravian Church. The text of this proposal is available at www.elca.org/ea/fostoc.html.
Full communion agreements open possibilities for exchange of clergy and other cooperative ministries. In 1997, the ELCA assembly approved a full communion agreement with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ.
Voting members will also consider a proposed social statement on economic life, "Toward Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All." The full text of this proposal is available on the Web at www.elca.org/dcs/suffsus.html.
The assembly will hear several reports of significance, including a proposal for the development of a social statement on health care; disabilities ministry and deaf ministry; and women and children living in poverty. The '99 assembly will also receive a report from several churchwide units that summarizes their activities on gay and lesbian issues. The 1997 Churchwide Assembly asked for this report to be presented in 1999.
In addition to elections of members to boards and committees of the ELCA, the assembly will elect a new editor for The Lutheran, the magazine of the ELCA. The Rev. Edgar R. Trexler has served as editor of The Lutheran since the ELCA's inception in 1988, and for several years before that in a predecessor body. He announced earlier this year he will not seek reelection. A nominee will be selected by the magazine's advisory committee in consultation with the ELCA Church Council and Bishop Anderson.
The 25th anniversary of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, the=20 fund-raising arm of the ELCA's hunger program, will be celebrated at the assembly. The appeal's 1999 goal is to raise $12.6 million.
Voting members will be asked to approve a biennial budget for the ELCA and will hear reports on the ELCA's Seven Initiatives for a New Century approved at the 1997 assembly.
In addition to business sessions, the churchwide assembly will include several services of worship and prayer, built on the assembly theme.
Friday, Aug. 20, and Saturday, Aug. 21, feature "Hope for A New Century Festival Plaza," a marketplace constructed as a southwestern plaza. The Festival Plaza provides voting members and visitors an opportunity to learn about the various ministries of the church. Materials used in constructing the plaza will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.
In cooperation with Habitat for Humanity, churchwide assembly members will be invited to help build a house in the Denver area. The Hunger Bowl Project, a multi-unit effort involving students at ELCA colleges, universities and campus ministries, is designed to raise awareness for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Assembly voting members will be given bowls made by the students to build stronger connections among congregations and ELCA colleges, universities and campus ministries. The bowls are also intended to help continue awareness of world hunger and to encourage further education.
Young Lutherans will attend a youth convocation to be held in conjunction with the churchwide assembly. There will also be a convocation for young adults, running concurrently with the assembly.
Information on the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found on the Web at www.elca.org/assembly99/.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.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
