MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The 2003 Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) authorized, 838 to
25, that the Office of the ELCA Presiding Bishop oversee and
implement "Faithful Yet Changing: The Plan for Mission in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" Aug. 17.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines
Center. There are about 2,100 people participating, including
1,031 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is
"Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the World."
The action authorized the Office of the Presiding Bishop to
offer a report and recommendations to the November 2003 meeting
of the ELCA Church Council. The Office of the Presiding Bishop
will align the churchwide budget with the strategic directions,
identify an initial set of strategies in consultation with all
churchwide units, consult with leaders of synods, agencies and
institutions, and prepare possible constitutional and bylaw
amendments for consideration by the 2005 Churchwide Assembly.
The assembly adopted an amendment, 692 to 213, to recommend
an amendment to the action emphasizing an anti-racist commitment. The Rev. Robert Rimbo, bishop, ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod, introduced the amendment, saying: "We need to work on dismantling the racism that is crippling our witness in the world."
After the action was adopted, the Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, asked the assembly to thank all who shaped the plan for mission: the 30,000 ELCA members who participated through synod assemblies, the ELCA Church Council, the churchwide staff and the Rev. Charles S. Miller, ELCA executive for administration.
The assembly adopted a "sense of the assembly" motion, 777 to 77, that the wording of two strategic directions be changed. The "sense motion" called for more active language in the strategic directions, changing "welcoming" to "inviting" and "assist" to "equip."
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Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/03 on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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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
