CHICAGO (ELCA) -- At the constituting convention of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 20 years ago, the
church set a goal that 10 percent of its membership be people of
color and/or whose primary language is not English. Today the
church has arrived at three percent, reported the Rev. Sherman G.
Hicks, executive director, ELCA Multicultural Ministries, at the
2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly here Aug. 11.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, met here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. About
2,000 people participated, including 1,069 ELCA voting members.
The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in God's Amazing
Grace: Thanks be to God!"
About 33 percent of the U.S. population consists of people
of color, making the membership of the ELCA far from the
"demographic context in which it exists," Hicks told the
assembly.
Hicks provided ELCA membership and leadership figures from
the multi-racial and ethnic communities and ministries of the
church -- African American and Black, American Indian and Alaska
Native, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific Islander,
Latino/Hispanic, White and other.
He also highlighted the ELCA's five ethnic-specific ministry
strategies adopted by former churchwide assemblies, which are
designed "to assist this church in reaching the 10 percent goal
and become a more multicultural church."
While "each of the strategies reflects its distinctive
community within the ELCA and its wider context for mission and
ministry, there are similarities among the strategies," said
Hicks.
Each of the strategies support leadership within the
communities, the development of language-specific and/or ethnic-
specific resources for congregations, strengthen the ability of
congregations to engage in evangelism, stewardship and Lutheran
identity, contextualize the outreach strategies of the church,
heighten concern for social justice, exercise sensitivity,
address racism in the church and society, pursue unity, and
strengthen ecumenical connections.
"While our church has miles to go, there is hope for the
future," said Hicks.
The ELCA Multicultural Ministries program unit has completed
a strategic plan for 2007-2009. Its goals are to increase the
number of congregations in the ELCA, increase and strengthen the
cohesiveness within and among ethnic-specific communities, equip
congregations and other expressions of the church to become anti-
racist and multicultural, and increase the number of professional
and lay leaders in the church, said Hicks.
"Moving this church forward as a multicultural church will
require participation beyond the churchwide organization. It
will require the commitment and participation of synods,
congregations, agencies and institutions in partnership with the
churchwide organization," said Hicks.
- - -
Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be
found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
- - -
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
