DENVER (ELCA) -- Voting members and visitors of the 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) interested in transforming lives, congregations and communities in U.S. cities attended a hearing Aug. 17 about "In the City for Good," the church's urban ministry initiative.
The Churchwide Assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 16-22 at the Colorado Convention Center. There are more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,039 voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: Hope for a New Century."
The purpose of the hearing was to provide information on the progress of "In the City for Good." The 90-minute hearing -- non-legislati= ve in nature -- offered the opportunity for discussion. About 60 of the assembly's voting members and guests attended the hearing led by the Rev. Jerrett L. Hansen, a mission director for the ELCA Division for Outreach (DO), Baltimore, and the Rev. Warren A. Sorteberg, executive for congregational outreach services, DO, Chicago.
The 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted "In the City for Good" to guide the church's urban strategies through the year 2008, and commit funds to help congregations adapt to and transform their neighborhoods into desirable places to live, work and worship.
Hansen said a resource kit has been developed to help congregations and others bring change to lives, congregations and their communities. The resource includes a Bible study, a litany, a news release for publication and an action plan for achieving transformation in the church, he said.
"Spiritual renewal should be at the heart of every urban ministry," Hansen said. "The vision of the church's urban ministry initiative is transformation -- changing congregations and communities for the sake of Jesus Christ."
Earlene Reeder, an assembly voting member from Detroit, sought clarification on the word "transformation" from Hansen. Reeder said the definition of "transformation" can have a different contextual or cultural meaning for people than Hansen's understanding.
"We haven't fared out what 'transformation' means yet, but the vision of the urban ministry initiative helps to outline when transformation takes place," said Hansen.
An "In the City for Good" Fund has been established and will be developed over time, said Sorteberg. Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal benefits organization based in Minneapolis, has given a $1 million grant to help the funding process for the next five years. Other "fund partners" include the ELCA Extended Mission Fund, the Vision for Mission Fund and the Division for Outreach.
In 1999 the ELCA awarded $357,179 in grants to 23 new urban ministry projects that illustrate a potential for transforming lives, congregations and communities in U.S. cities, Sorterberg said. Nearly 140 project proposals were submitted.
The Rev. Rosa M. Key, an assembly voting member from Philadelphia, said the "In the City for Good" fund team "should make clear the process or criteria for urban practitioners to apply for grants." Key said communication between fund team leaders and urban practitioners was "poor." She said "fund team leaders did not make clear application requirements."
"In the City for Good" is not an attempt to throw money at urban ministry projects," said Sorteberg. "Money is not the answer to doing urban ministry. 'In the City for Good' is an understanding that the church is engaged in mission and outreach to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in urban settings," he said.
"We have to realize that we will always have more projects than we have funds for," said the Rev. Larry V. Smoose, Media, Pa., a member of the ELCA Church Council and chair for the "In the City for Good" hearing.
"After listening to the conversation at the hearing, I will make decisions on selecting fund applicants a little differently," said the Rev. Mark Hanson, bishop of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod, St. Paul, Minn. Hanson is a member of the urban-initiatives fund team.
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
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Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
