INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Church members are learning to discuss contentious issues, said the Rev. Charles Miller, director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Church in Society. Miller presented progress on an ELCA initiative on witnessing to the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center. There are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: Sharing Faith in a New Century."
Miller told assembly participants about progress on the initiative "Witness to God's Action in the World: Moral Deliberation and Public Witness." Final reports on each of the seven initiatives, launched by the ELCA in 1997, are being presented at this assembly.
Moral deliberation is a challenge for the church, Miller said. "Can the church witness to the world by the manner in which it talks about conflictive issues in non-conflictive ways?" he said.
In response to the initiative, the Division for Church in Society (DCS) staff created a congregational deliberation guide and moral deliberation training. Video resources and print resources are available, including "Talking Together as Christians About Tough Social Issues," launched in 1999. A training event on moral deliberation was held in 2000.
Community renewal is the second aspect of this initiative. Three agencies received grants to do community renewal in Colton, Ore., Los Angeles and Chicago. The community agencies provided a variety of social and health care services.
Miller said the results were "exhilarating." Organizers learned programming works "if there are community participants and persistent leaders locally," he said. -- -- --
Information about assembly actions is at http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded updates during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.
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
