INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly adopted a new evangelism strategy, "Toward a Vision for Evangelism in the ELCA." The new strategy was adopted with 99.1 percent of the voting members' approval, 965-9. The previous evangelism strategy, "A Telling Witness to God's Good News," was adopted by the 1991 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."
The resolution provides guidance to Lutherans to "clarify their sense of purpose and mission, seek new ways to be open to innovation and change, and share new or existing evangelism plans with the whole church prior to the 2003 Churchwide Assembly."
Several amendments were presented during discussion on the resolution. An amendment by the Rev. Martin J. Russell, ELCA Nebraska Synod, passed 857-35. Russell's amendment proposed that the final paragraph in the resolution, calling for the ELCA presiding bishop to "provide for developing a comprehensive evangelism strategy for the 2003 Churchwide Assembly," be changed to call for the ELCA presiding bishop, the Division for Congregational Ministries, the other churchwide divisions and units, and the Conference of Bishops, "to establish a 'Blue Ribbon' task force by January 3, 2002, that will develop a comprehensive evangelism strategy for presentation and possible action at the 2003 churchwide assembly." The amendment also called for "at least 50 percent of the participants on the task force be currently active parish pastors and lay leaders in growing congregations, representing a range of worship styles, membership size, and of urban, suburban, and rural settings."
Russell said his amendment would "draw on the gifts of pastors and laypersons."
An amendment to include "ethnic diversity" within the list of categories for the task force's "50 percent of pastor and lay leader participants," presented by the Rev. Raymond LeBlanc, ELCA Southern California (West) Synod, was adopted 923-35.
"This [resolution] is a great step toward refocusing our attention on the 'Great Commission,'" LeBlanc said in debate.
"I'm for this resolution," said Allan Thomas, ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. "It [the resolution] offers an opportunity to continue to spread the Word by allowing churches to come together to strategize and plan." -- -- --
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
*Michelle T. Mills is a senior at Bradley University, Peoria, Ill. This summer she is an intern with ELCA News & Information.
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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.
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