CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will review the relationship between Augsburg Fortress Publishers and units of the church responsible for developing congregational resources. The council also affirmed the renewal of the mandate for the ELCA Commission for Women.
The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide assemblies. The council met here April 6-7. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14 in Indianapolis.
The council requested that staff of the ELCA Office of the Bishop establish a task force to review the relationship between Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA, Minneapolis, and churchwide units, particularly the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM). The task force will work to determine whether or not the present relationship best serves the ministries of the ELCA.
At its February 2001 meeting, the DCM board authorized the division's executive directors to "investigate alternative" means of "publishing, producing and distributing resources" designed to assist congregations in carrying out their ministries. The board asked the council, through the council's Planning and Evaluation Committee, to review the relationship between the division and publishing house.
DCM provides support for congregations in such areas as education, evangelism, lay leadership, planning, service and justice, social ministry, stewardship, and worship. With other areas of the church, the division develops resources for congregational use in "partnership" with Augsburg Fortress.
"The committee discussed the DCM board action and considered a similar request made by DCM in 1998," said Karl D. Anderson, Neenah, Wis., member of the council's Planning and Evaluation committee.
"The committee also reviewed the relevant [ELCA] constitutional language, the scope of a potential review, and the importance and visibility of the issue," Anderson said.
Two members of the council's Planning and Evaluation Committee will serve on the task force. The council requested an interim report from the task force for its November 2001 meeting, and a report with any recommendations to the Planning and Evaluation Committee for the council's April 2002 meeting.
In another action the council affirmed the renewal of the mandate for the ELCA Commission for Women and expressed "deep appreciation" to the staff and steering committee for the commission's "ongoing service in the ministry of the ELCA."
In consultation with the council, members of the Program and Evaluation Committee reviewed the work of the Commission for Women during the last two years. The committee reviewed results of a comprehensive survey, considered what it had heard in discussions with Joanne Chadwick, the commission's executive director, and with other commission staff.
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
