ELCA Women Elect President, 'Listen to God's Call'

PHILADELPHIA (ELCA) -- Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) elected a new president, launched a new three-year theme and acted on resolutions designed to enhance the work of the women's organization.
These actions were among many taken by 500 delegates who met July 8-14 at the Women of the ELCA Fifth Triennial Convention and Gathering here at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The delegates were among more than 3,200 women from across the United States and around the world who gathered under Women of the ELCA's new three-year theme, "Listen, God is Calling." The theme was unveiled at the convention and gathering and women reflected on the theme during Bible study, worship and special presentations held each day in morning and evening "mass gatherings."

NEW THEME AND PRIORITIES SET FOR WOMEN OF THE ELCA
The theme, "Listen, God is Calling," was selected from the book of Ephesians in the Christian Bible.
Family, leadership development, spirituality and stewardship are four priorities that were introduced and examined at the Triennial Gathering. The priorities will guide the development of resources and programs by staff of the women's organization within the context of Women of the ELCA's theme, purpose statement and new mission statement "to mobilize women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ."
Women of the ELCA has more than 7,800 "local units" in congregations and institutional settings in 64 of the ELCA's 65 synods in the United States and Caribbean.
Linda Post Bushkofsky will assume the role as Women of the ELCA executive director Aug. 1. She succeeds Catherine "Cathi" I.H. Braasch, who decided not to serve for another four-year term based primarily on family health reasons and her preparation to enter the ordained ministry. Braasch's end of service coincided with the Triennial Gathering, but she will officially leave office Aug. 31.

KIESNER ELECTED PRESIDENT, LEADERSHIP TEAM COMPLETE
Four officers and 17 members of Women of the ELCA's executive board were elected to complete the organization's leadership team for 2002-2005.
Mary Ellen M. Kiesner, 56, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Menomonee Falls, Wis., was elected July 11 to serve a three-year term as president of Women of the ELCA. She was elected on the fourth ballot for president 241-228 over Nancy Christian, Fertile, Minn., who led on the first three ballots.
Kiesner is a longtime active member of Women of the ELCA and has completed a three-year term on the executive board of the women's organization. Her experience in Women of the ELCA includes work as a "Women and Children in Crisis" consultant, membership on the global education and advocacy committee, a "Woman to Woman" representative to Estonia, and a "One in Christ" representative to the American Indian community.
Kiesner is a radiology technologist at Falls Media Group/Advanced Health Care, Menomonee Falls. She earned an associate degree in radiology at St. Luke's Hospital, Milwaukee.
Nancy Christian, Concordia Lutheran Church, Fertile, was elected vice president; Gail M. Powell, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rockwood, Mich., was elected secretary; and Carmen K. Richards, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hope, N.D., was elected treasurer.
Twelve women were elected to the executive board on the first ballot. The remaining members were elected on the fourth ballot.

BUDGET AND OTHER CONVENTION BUSINESS
Delegates adopted a $3,681,438 budget for 2003. The budget includes spending guidelines for Women of the ELCA's program services such as anti-racism and cross-cultural ministries, periodicals and products, women's ministry programs, evangelism and related services, stewardship and fund development, grants and scholarships, and special funding initiatives. The budget also includes expenditures for executive and organizational services, operations, governance and a planned $700,000 gift to the ELCA. Women of the ELCA provides a financial gift to the ELCA churchwide organization annually.
Delegates also acted on proposed amendments to the organization's constitution and memorials -- resolutions that ask for specific actions by the churchwide women's organization -- from synodical women's organizations and individuals. Significant actions included:
+ Designating a Sunday "to bring sexual exploitation of women and children into the light by focusing media attention and educating congregations about the sex industry." The event is scheduled to be called "Day Full of Light." Women of the ELCA will distribute materials for study.
+ A vote to urge Lutherans to advocate for a "just" re- authorization of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the federal welfare program. The resolution, adopted overwhelmingly, urged participants to write to their senators and ask them to oppose any amendments that would increase work requirements, remove the option for states to provide benefits to legal immigrants, narrow the list of activities denied as work, and mandate full family sanctions.
+ A resolve to encourage individuals, households and congregations of the ELCA to "reduce personal, household and workplace consumption of water and other non-renewable resources by 10 percent." The resolution also encouraged women to study biblical, theological and practical issues related to stewardship of water.
+ An action to encourage congregational units to pray for their youth "that they may grow in faith and have healthy, safe lives."
+ A vote to authorize the executive director of Women of the ELCA to "lodge a protest in the strongest possible terms" to the U.S. government over its decision to deny a woman from Tanzania entry into the United States. Mary Laiser, secretary of the Women's Desk in the Arusha Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, was scheduled to be a presenter and assisting minister for worship at the Triennial Gathering, but was sent back home July 9 by U.S. immigration officials after she arrived in Detroit from Amsterdam on her way to the gathering. Immigration officials detained her because her visa extended beyond the expiration date of her passport.

BIBLE STUDY AND FEATURED SPEAKERS
Bible studies were led by three of the ELCA's seven female bishops -- the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, bishop of the ELCA South Dakota Synod, Sioux Falls; the Rev. April Ulring Larson, bishop of the ELCA LaCrosse Area Synod, LaCrosse, Wis.; and the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, bishop of the ELCA New England Synod, Worcester, Mass. There are 65 synod bishops in the ELCA.
Featured speakers included Christine Grumm, executive director, Women's Funding Network, San Francisco, an international association of women's and girl's funds and foundations, and Dr. Pauline Riak, executive director, Sudanese Women's Association in Nairobi (SWAN), Kenya. SWAN brings together displaced Sudanese women from various ethnic, political, religious and linguistic backgrounds.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, Chicago, and the Rev. Margarita Martinez, bishop of the ELCA Caribbean Synod, Dorado, Puerto Rico, preached sermons during worship services.

SEMINARS, 'CONVENTION WITHOUT WALLS' AND WORKSHOPS
On July 10, four all-day seminars were held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. They were "Global Education and Advocacy," "Leadership Training Follow-Up," "Perspectives of the Differently Abled" and "Organizational Self-Assessment."
A key component of the gathering was the "Convention Without Walls" -- opportunities for women to move beyond the convention center into the surrounding Philadelphia community. The experiences were "intended to help participants understand in depth the variety of ways in which people and organizations in the Philadelphia area respond to God's call through direct service, empowerment or working for systematic change, and it provide