ELCA Hosts Hearings on Health, Health Care

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- As part of a four-year study process to develop a social statement on health and health care, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is hosting a series of hearings across the United States. The hearings are to begin collecting reactions to "Health, Healing and Health Care," the first draft of a social statement the ELCA will consider adopting in 2003.
The ELCA Division for Church in Society (DCS) sent each of the ELCA's 10,816 congregations, as well as pastors and lay leaders serving in other settings, a copy of the document last year.
A churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, must adopt a social statement on health and health care for it to become an official statement of the church. A proposed statement is expected to be considered at the next assembly in August 2003 in Milwaukee.
ELCA members are to offer their responses to the first draft by Sept. 1, so the responses may inform the development of a proposal for the assembly. The draft includes a response form.
DCS assembled a 16-member task force on health and health care to prepare the draft. The task force will use the hearings and responses to assist its work next fall, while writing the proposed social statement. Each hearing will be conducted by at least one task force member.
Hearings were held Jan. 27 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Atlanta. Three themes emerged from that first gathering, said the Rev. Ronald W. Duty, associate director for studies, ELCA Division for Church in Society: + People appreciate the fact that the church is working on a statement on health and health care, but would like the draft to be more focused, specific and practical for the average member in what it states and recommends. + People appreciate the section on personal responsibility for our own health, and want the church more engaged in health education at a congregational level. + People want the church to be bolder in the final draft about "solutions" it recommends to address the country's health care problems.
Duty said many more hearings are being scheduled. There are 19 on his current calendar:

FEBRUARY
7 Health Sciences Center, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wis.
10 Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Phoenix
10 Faith Lutheran Church, Fairlawn, Ohio
16 Christ Lutheran Church, Cape Coral, Fla.
27 Good Shepherd Home, Allentown, Pa.

MARCH
2 St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Beaverton, Ore.
16 Site to be announced, Toledo, Ohio

APRIL
4 Martin Luther Manor, Bloomington, Minn.
13 National Lutheran Home for the Aged, Rockville, Md.
13 Columbia Center, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.
14 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Baltimore
17 ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod Office, Manhattan, N.Y.
20 Grace Lutheran Church, State College, Pa.
20 St. John Care Center, Mars, Pa.
23 ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod Office, Chicago

MAY
4 First Lutheran Church, Albany, N.Y.
11 All Saints Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, N.M.
18 St. John Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Ill.

JUNE
1 Christ Lutheran Church, Orange, Calif.

The DCS board will discuss the draft during its March 14-16 meeting here at the Marriott O'Hare Hotel.
A Spanish version of the draft will be available soon, said Duty. Complimentary copies will be sent to 450 church leaders, and a hearing in Puerto Rico will be added to the schedule, he said. -- -- --
Any schedule revisions, a copy of the draft and details about the process are available at http://www.elca.org/dcs/healthcare.html on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html