CHICAGO (ELCA) -- To help guide the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) evangelism endeavors, the board for the Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) reviewed a report on "A Telling Witness of God's Good News," the ELCA's Evangelism Strategy, at its meeting here March 24-26.
The report summarizes the church's efforts in evangelism, outreach and mission from 1991 to 2001. The strategy was adopted by the 1991 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The Rev. Wyvetta Bullock, executive director for the division, presented the report.
In 1991 the ELCA resolved to encourage each congregation to examine its own ministry of hospitality, review the opportunities for sharing God's good news with people in its unique setting, and develop ways to meet, engage, witness to and invite people to faith in Jesus Christ, Bullock told the board.
Other goals of the strategy included to establish 50 new congregations a year, and to have at least 10 percent of the ELCA's membership be people of color or whose primary language is not English.
Today, the church is developing a new strategy for evangelism, outreach and mission for the next 10 years, Bullock said.
The "working definition" of evangelism is the "activity of the individual Christian and of the church to share with other people the good news of God's love, grace and power as revealed in Jesus Christ, so that these others may be drawn into the community of Jesus to share a new life with and from God," Bullock told the board.
"Making disciples, commitment to witness and service, and passion and compassion are what the church should be about. These are not negotiable," Bullock said. "The mission arena in the United States for 2000 and beyond illustrates that between 80,000,000 and 90,000,000 people will not belong to a church. There will be increased racial/ethnic diversity -- within the next 50 years, Whites will be the new minority," she said.
At their meetings last fall, boards of the ELCA's Division for Global Mission, Division for Outreach and DCM 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 prepared interim reports to spring 2000 board meetings, and a final report to boards will be developed for fall 2000. The ELCA's Church Council will review the development process and receive the board's actions as information.
In spring 2001 a final version of the new evangelism strategy will be distributed to churchwide boards and the ELCA Conference of Bishops. The ELCA Church Council will take action on the strategy for transmission to the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
DCM is organized into ministry teams to carry out its work with and on behalf of the ELCA's 11,000 congregations. The division's mission is "to support ELCA congregations to be alive in Christ as they participate in God's mission by actively proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and welcoming all to living faith."
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
