CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) advised the ELCA Church Council of its preferences on possible constitutional language that could give a synodical bishop and an advisory committee appointed by the bishop greater latitude in dealing with conflicts involving a congregation and its pastor.
The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body that includes the bishops of the ELCA's 65 synods, the ELCA presiding bishop and the ELCA secretary. The group met here Oct. 5-10.
At the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Denver, voting members considered a proposed constitutional amendment related to the issue. Under the proposal, if a congregation voted by a simple majority to dismiss the pastor, the bishop may exercise his or her "sole discretion" to consent to the pastor's dismissal. The assembly voted 567-296 in favor, but short of the required two-thirds majority for adoption of the proposed amendment.
That left the ELCA constitutional requirement for dismissal unchanged. Congregations may dismiss a pastor but only with a two-thirds majority at a properly called congregational meeting.
In October 1999, the Conference of Bishops asked the Rev. Lowell S. Almen, ELCA secretary, to review the issue and study whether such an amendment should be submitted to the 2001 churchwide assembly.
In response, Almen said the intent of the original proposal did not seem clear to the 1999 assembly voting members, and he advised the bishops not to reconsider the issue, at least for now.
"In my opinion, this is not the time to pursue that proposal at the churchwide assembly," he told the bishops. Almen said in his written report to the conference that some people may characterize such an amendment as "another power grab by the bishops."
"The charge would be false, but that has not precluded, in the past, such misconstructions," Almen wrote.
Despite Almen's suggestion, the Conference of Bishops strongly affirmed the idea of revisiting the issue at the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Indianapolis. Some described frustrating situations they've encountered in which a pastor is determined to remain in a congregation with slightly more than one-third of the congregation's support. In these cases, the bishop cannot act, even though there may be serious conflict in the congregation.
The bishops reviewed some possible constitutional language. They agreed with a suggestion that if the synod bishop and an advisory committee appointed by the bishop recommend that a pastor's call be terminated in conflict situations, the congregation may dismiss the pastor by a simple majority vote. The bishops also agreed with a suggestion that the two-thirds requirement remain in cases where the bishop and advisory committee did not recommend the pastor's call be terminated.
Almen said he will report the bishops' comments to the Legal and Constitutional Review Committee of the ELCA Church Council for possible presentation to the full council. Proposed constitutional amendments must be transmitted to the churchwide assembly through the council.
If the assembly eventually adopts such a proposal, it will appear in the churchwide constitution and in all synod constitutions, Almen said.
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
