CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are developing a new strategy for evangelism, mission and outreach for the next 10 years. Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson told the ELCA Church Council the new strategy will be ready for consideration by the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
The council met here Nov. 12-14. It functions as the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2001, in Indianapolis.
ELCA units and divisions are preparing a comprehensive report on activities of the past decade in response to the "Evangelism Strategy: A Telling Witness of God's Good News," which was established by the ELCA's 1991 Churchwide Assembly.
"The comprehensive report will allow us to review all that we have done in outreach and ministry," said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive director, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries. "The report will also help us prepare recommendations for the future," Bullock told the Church Council.
At their meetings this fall, boards of the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries, Division for Global Mission and Division for Outreach requested staff to coordinate with the ELCA Department for Communication and other units of the church to recommend strategies for evangelism and outreach for the next decade. Staff will bring an interim report to spring 2000 board meetings and a final report to boards in fall 2000. The Church Council will review the development process and receive the boards' actions as information.
Through the 1991 evangelism strategy, the 11,000 congregations of the ELCA were encouraged to examine their own ministry of hospitality, review opportunities to share God's good news with people in its unique settings, and develop ways to meet, engage, witness to and invite people to faith in Jesus Christ, said Bullock.
Other goals of the strategy include to establish 50 new congregations a year, to have at least 10 percent of the ELCA's membership be people of color or whose primary language is not English, to train leaders, and to request the ELCA presiding bishop to "appoint a coordinating committee to oversee the implementation and further development of the evangelism strategy."
To explore directions and recommendations for future outreach, evangelism and mission, a churchwide consultation will be held April 25- 26, 2000, the Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive director, ELCA Division for Outreach, told the Church Council. The consultation will include the council, churchwide units, the ELCA Conference of Bishops, congregations, seminaries, other institutions and ecumenical partners, Magnus said.
In Spring 2001, a final version of the new evangelism strategy will be distributed to churchwide boards and the Conference of Bishops. The ELCA Church Council will take action on the strategy for transmission to the 2001 Churchwide Assembly.
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
