ELCA Evangelism Strategy Moves Forward

CHICAGO (ELCA) --The board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) met here Feb. 21-22 and took steps to finalize "Sharing Faith in a New Century: A Vision for Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" for presentation to the ELCA Church Council and to the 2003 Churchwide Assembly. The board also endorsed other ministry plans.
"Sharing Faith in a New Century" is a comprehensive strategy on evangelism for the ELCA. The board directed staff of the division to make "necessary editorial changes" and to "prepare the final version of the evangelism strategy document." The final version will be forwarded to the board's executive committee for presentation. The council will meet here April 4-7; the assembly will meet Aug. 11-17 in Milwaukee.
"A strategy is now available," said Karen Walhof, Minneapolis, DCM board chair. What is "required to put this strategy into action are the commitment of synods, the passion of congregations, and significant funding. It is a bold strategy and the result, by the grace of God, can be a renewing, enlivened church," Walhof said.
Sharing Faith in a New Century is the work of the ELCA Evangelism Strategy Task Force. In cooperation with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, DCM assembled the 33-member task force to develop the strategy. In a separate action, the board commended the task force "for its faithful and diligent work."
The Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop of the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod, Rockford, outlined some primary objectives of the strategy. Wollersheim is chair of the task force.
An objective of the strategy is to commit the ELCA to be "a praying church," Wollersheim told the board. Second, the strategy will help "prepare and renew evangelical leaders." Through the plan, the ELCA will identify ethnic-specific leaders and lay evangelists and will teach discipleship, and will start and renew congregations," he said.
Wollersheim said the strategy is "extremely faithful" and will help "the church to participate in God's mission." He listed 10 reasons why the strategy will work, he said. "The strategy begins with a serious emphasis on prayer. Second, the strategy addresses the entire church, not just the churchwide organization, with emphasis on congregations. Congregations will now have a plan for evangelism with biblical study, demographics and how-tos," Wollersheim said.
"Third, the strategy involves the training of evangelists, and [fourth] it asks global partners to help us and send us missionaries," he said. As his fifth reason, Wollersheim said the strategy will help the church start congregations across the country "with a timetable, budget and process."
The strategy also focuses on redeveloping existing congregations with low worship attendance, he said, citing his sixth reason. "It also deepens our relationship with God, and the strategy has an accountability component," Wollersheim said, citing his seventh and eighth reasons. A report will be given to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly on how we're doing, he said.
Citing his ninth and tenth reasons, Wollersheim said the United States and Caribbean is "a mission field, a harvest God has given us." And, he said, an ELCA strategy for evangelism will work because the ELCA's [65] synods said evangelism is a top priority.
A component of Sharing Faith in a New Century includes several appendices for the strategy's implementation in the church. In another action, the board affirmed the appendices of the strategy and referred them to the Office of the Presiding Bishop with the request that they be integrated, as much as possible, "into the ELCA churchwide organization spending plan proposal during 2004-2012."
The staff and steering committee of the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries joined the DCM board and staff for Wollersheim's report on Feb. 21. The steering committee also met here Feb. 21-22.
The Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, executive director for the commission, told the group he was grateful for the evangelism strategy.
"When the first draft of the evangelism strategy came to us for review, we were not pleased, and we were not silent," Rajan said. He said the strategy fell short on illustrating how the ELCA "can be a strong church in a multicultural nation."
Rajan said the commission developed a six-page response for the task force that included some concerns, as well as support, on the initial draft of the strategy. "Every one of our concerns was addressed. We are very pleased in the way the evangelism task force has responded to our community. We are very excited about the strong commitment expressed to listen to people of color," said Rajan.
At its meeting, the steering committee moved to endorse Sharing Faith in a New Century and, in the same action, expressed gratitude to the DCM board, staff and evangelism task force "for listening positively to the concerns" of the commission's staff and steering committee.
In other business, the DCM board:
+ endorsed an "Outdoor Ministry Professional Standards Program" designed to provide outdoor ministry boards and executive directors with an "effective method for assessing the qualifications" of individuals seeking professional positions in outdoor ministries. Program goals include establishing a "recommended set of core competencies" for outdoor ministry professionals, encouraging a deep understanding in Lutheran theology, and encouraging the development of skills and competency in administration and program development.
+ affirmed the continued development of a "Next Step Strategies for Synodical Youth and Family Ministry" document. A "next step recommendation" is focusing on the idea that youth and family ministry happens at the grassroots level, said Mark J. Jackson, board member, Trinity Lutheran College, Issaquah, Wash., who presented the document to the board for action. Other recommendations include training for synod leadership, expanding existing partnerships and securing new funds, Jackson said.
+ accepted the "To Serve as Jesus Served: Making Christ Known Through Social Ministry" 2003-2004 strategic plan. The plan contains a theological foundation section, mission statement, program and historical overview, assessment of current trends in social ministry, and future directions.
+ instructed DCM's executive directors to ask staff of the ELCA Office of the Secretary to accurately identify all ethnic-specific congregations, synodically-authorized worshiping communities, candidates for ministry, mission directors and pastors of the ELCA. The board noted that, at this time, there is no official place for congregations to provide information about ethnic-specific ministries and leadership in their reports to synods and churchwide office. -- -- --
Information about "Sharing Faith in a New Century: A Vision for Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" is maintained at http://www.elca.org/visionevangelism/ on the Internet.

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