DENVER (ELCA) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has the capacity to achieve a goal of starting 2,000 new congregations over the next 20 years, said the Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive director, ELCA Division for Outreach, in remarks to the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly here Aug. 18.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting Aug. 16-22 at the Colorado Convention Center. There are more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,038 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: Hope for a New Century."
The ELCA Division for Outreach is involved in the evangelism and outreach project to start 2,000 new congregations by 2020.
The ELCA has "a process of developing congregations that works," Magnus said. The church also has a history of congregations starting new congregations, he said.
"Now we have the opportunity to put these two gifts together to strengthen and multiply the number of new congregations, and the number of people who will become disciples of Jesus Christ," Magnus said
ELCA personnel will work with the church's 65 synods and 11,000 congregations to "increase this work," Magnus said.
"Through field staff and synod committees, we will invite congregations to identify the field they would like to reach out to, whether nearby or across the country," Magnus said. Congregations interested in serving as partners in mission development will be asked to help identify the process of raising funds to do outreach, and the process to identify and support one of their own members to move into ministry in the ELCA, Magnus said.
"Only with increased recruitment of ministry leadership, both lay and ordained, will we be able to meet the goals of this program," Magnus said.
Over the next several months, Magnus said ELCA Division for Outreach staff will be training staff and synod committees for the 2,000 congregations project.
"We have an incredible opportunity," Magnus said. "We live in one of the world's largest mission fields, as many as 120 million people in our country who are not actively involved in a relationship with Jesus Christ."
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
