ELCA Bishops Speak on Iraq, to Study Lay Presidency

CHARLESTON, S.C. (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), noting that a war against Iraq seems more likely, urged members of the ELCA to "engage in special Lenten disciplines of prayer and fasting in behalf of peace." In a separate action, it affirmed the public statements about peaceful solutions to the possibility of war from the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop.
The ELCA is organized into 65 synods, each headed by a bishop. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body to the church, consisting of the church's 65 synod bishops, ELCA presiding bishop and ELCA secretary. The conference met here March 6-11.
In its first action, the Conference of Bishops asked congregations to make peace a topic in their prayers during remaining Sundays in Lent -- at least through April 13.
"Because the prospect of war is of concern to the entire global community, this is also an appropriate time to join with fellow Christians and persons of other faiths in times of worship, prayer, and deeds which bear witness to our faith that God cares for all of creation and the whole human family," the resolution said.
The bishops' resolution included several specific prayer petitions. The petitions call for prayers for the peace in the world, for the people of Iraq, for United States service men and women and for U.S. military chaplains.
For President George W. Bush and U.S. leaders, the prayer petition asks "that God will give them wisdom and compassion, enabling them to preserve the security of our nation while also sparing the people of Iraq from war." For Saddam Hussein and the leaders of Iraq, the petition asks "that they will choose peace, comply with the international mandate to destroy weapons of mass destruction, and end the oppression under which their people are forced to live."
The resolution was proposed to the Conference of Bishops by its Theological and Ethical Concerns Committee.
In a separate action, the bishops affirmed a Nov. 26, 2002, public statement by Hanson, and a Feb. 13 e-mail from Hanson to pastors and professional lay leaders of the church. The bishops also commended Hanson for his work to seek peaceful solutions to violence in the Middle East and to call for peaceful means to resolve the situation with Iraq.
The second action was initiated at the urging of the Rev. Robert A. Rimbo, bishop of the ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod, Detroit. When the prayer resolution was introduced, he asked his colleagues if they could do more beyond calling for prayers. Rimbo suggested affirming the church's social statement, "For Peace in God's World," and he asked them to stand with the presiding bishop and his "courageous words."
In his Feb. 13 e-mail message to ELCA leaders, Hanson said he is greatly troubled by the situation between the governments of the United States and Iraq and the possibility of war. He asked church leaders to be "united in our commitment to pray, to engage in public deliberation and to work for peace."
In his Nov. 26 statement, Hanson said the ELCA would continue to urge the U.S. government to work with the international community to use peaceful means to disarm Iraq. Hanson welcomed a unanimous vote of the U.N. Security Council which called for the government of Iraq to comply with the inspections aimed at removing and destroying weapons of mass destruction. Hanson also said he welcomed President Bush's efforts "to seek an international consensus on steps to ensure Iraqi disarmament."

BISHOPS TO STUDY LAY PRESIDENCY ISSUES
Beginning with their October 2003 meeting, the bishops agreed to begin a study process of lay presidency -- a situation in which a lay person may preach or preside at Holy Communion -- and other matters related to a growing need for alterative leadership in worship. The study process is a follow-up to the bishops' October 2002 meeting, at which they expressed a variety of concerns about lay presidency and the need for lay presidency standards in the ELCA.
The Rev. A. Craig Settlage, associate executive director, ELCA Division for Ministry, proposed that selected teaching theologians of the church prepare papers on the subject for discussion at the bishop's fall 2003 meeting and the bishops' 2004 academy, held in January.
The papers, from the perspectives of mission, Scripture and confessions, and liturgy, will examine two primary issues of concern, Settlage said. They are "the meaning and function of call and ordination in the life of this church," and "the church's understanding and use of authorized lay ministers for the ministry of Word and Sacrament," according to his report to the bishops.
"Lay ministry is one of the major concerns and opportunities for the ELCA," said the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh, and chair of the Conference of Bishops.
"We know that there's a variety of practices," McCoid added. "The actions that we took are significant because it raises and frames some of the questions that we need to look at as we look at lay presidency and synodically authorized ministry."

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