ELCA Restructure Proposal Withdrawn During Churchwide Meetings Oct. 17-19

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), withdrew a
proposal made public Sept. 15 to restructure the ELCA's
churchwide organization in 2004. Hanson and the Rev. Charles S.
Miller, ELCA executive for administration and executive assistant
to the presiding bishop, announced the decision in the midst of a
weekend filled with board and steering committee meetings, Oct.
17-19. Hanson made a formal announcement to the ELCA Oct. 20.
Under the "Proposal for the Future Design of the Churchwide
Organization," the ELCA's two commissions would be eliminated and
two executive directors would administer many of their functions
from the Office of the Presiding Bishop. Other functions would
be deployed to other areas in the organization. The proposal was
to phase out the existing boards of divisions and steering
committees of commissions.
On Oct. 18 Hanson and Miller met with a joint session of the
steering committees of the ELCA's Commission for Multicultural
Ministries and Commission for Women. Following the two-hour
session, Hanson summarized his comments in a memo to members of
the two steering committees:
"I intend to present to the ELCA Church Council, in November
2003, a recommendation that they develop a participatory and
inclusive process for discussing and shaping a proposal for the
design of the churchwide organization.
"Meanwhile, we are facing the need for budget reductions in
2004 that I will ask to be made in light of the ELCA Plan for
Mission adopted by the 2003 churchwide assembly. I hope that
during this period we will develop new patterns of doing our work
collaboratively that reflect the same Plan for Mission," the
presiding bishop wrote.
The churchwide assembly is the chief legislative authority
of the ELCA. It meets every other year; it met Aug. 11-17 in
Milwaukee and will meet next in August 2005 in Orlando, Fla. The
church council is the ELCA's board of directors, and serves as
the interim legislative authority between churchwide assemblies;
it will meet Nov. 13-16 in Charlotte, N.C. and now must address
an income projection for 2004 estimated to be $2.8 million less
than the current fiscal year.

'Multicultural Summit' Called
The steering committee of the ELCA Commission for
Multicultural Ministries called a "Multicultural Summit" Oct. 17
here to review the restructuring plan for the ELCA churchwide
organization.
More than 70 participants -- representing ethnic
associations that relate to the ELCA through the commission --
met with Hanson and Miller to share thoughts about the proposal
and the anti-racism endeavors of the church.
"The overall message at the summit was that we reject the
proposal and call on the Church Council to appoint a blue ribbon
committee for the development of a restructuring plan" that
addresses specific needs related to multicultural ministry, said
the Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, director of the commission.
Participants issued an "open letter" to the Church Council,
asking it to "assume responsibility for the development of a
restructuring plan" that is "inclusive and participatory."
Five ethnic associations relate to the ELCA through the
commission: African American Lutheran Association in the ELCA;
American Indian/Alaska Native Association -- ELCA; Asociacion
Luterana de Ministerios Hispanos de la Iglesia Evangelica Luterana en America (Association of Hispanic Ministries of the ELCA); Association of Asians/Pacific Islanders -- ELCA; and Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH). The president of each association attended the summit.

Commission for Women Committee Adopts Resolutions
The steering committee of the ELCA Commission for Women
began drafting several resolutions in response to the
restructuring proposal, when it met here Oct. 17-18. After the
proposal was withdrawn, the committee decided to finish the
resolutions and go on record opposing the proposal for
constitutional reasons.
The commission's steering committee cited the ELCA
Constitution: "This church may establish commissions to
accomplish specific tasks. Action of the Churchwide Assembly is
required to establish a commission or to determine that a
commission's mandate has been fulfilled."
The steering committee asked the ELCA Church Council to rule
on the proposal "as it relates to the elimination of the
Commission for Women without due constitutional process."
Related resolutions of the steering committee commended the
commission's staff; recognized that tasks for which the
commission was created remain unfulfilled; called for a delay in
the restructuring process that would involve the 2005 Churchwide
Assembly; noted that 70 percent of those whose positions were to
be eliminated were women and 40 percent were people of color; and
called for the convening of "an urgent consultation of women" to
envision the future of the commission's work within the
churchwide organization.

Don't Lose Energy on Augsburg Fortress Connection, DCM Board Told
In the restructuring plan, Augsburg Fortress, the publishing
house of the ELCA, was to have assumed the role of developing
Christian education materials. Presently most of that work is
being done by staff in the ELCA Division for Congregational
Ministries (DCM). Under the former plan DCM was to have ceased
to exist, and many of its functions were to be redeployed to
other units.
In remarks to the DCM board after the restructure plan was
pulled Oct. 18, Hanson urged the board and staff to move forward
to further develop connections with the ELCA publisher. "I would
urge you not to lose that energy," he said.
"I have learned anew how much people are deeply staked in
the ELCA and how much they care about it," Hanson told the DCM
board about the former proposal. To move forward with the plan
would have "alienated" more people, he said. The process used up
a lot of energy "that I regret," he said.
"This (restructuring) design was probably based on too many
assumptions that hadn't been tested," Hanson said.
Hanson also said he realized that he has considerable work
to do with staff of the churchwide organization to "rebuild
trust."
He warned that "deep and painful reductions" will still have
to be made by DCM because of a significant decline in income to
the churchwide organization. Hanson asked that the cuts be done
with the church's strategic directions in mind.
Board members expressed appreciation to Hanson for
withdrawing the proposal. Dr. Fran Burnford, ELCA associate in
ministry and board chair, Glendale Calif., called Hanson's
decision "an expression of the gospel."
The Rev. Gerald L. Mansholt, bishop of the ELCA Central
States Synod, Kansas City, Mo., applauded Hanson's action.
Mansholt, advisory bishop to the board, said it was a "good and
important step" to re-establish trust and build a stronger
foundation for the church.
The board adopted a resolution affirming the leadership of
and expressing appreciation to the Rev. Mark R. Moller-Gunderson
and the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, DCM executive directors. The
board also recognized the "exceptional commitment" of the DCM
staff and thanked them for the ministry to the church.

Structure Concerns Overrode Mission, LYO Told
In a meeting with the board of the Lutheran Youth
Organization, including the Differently Abled Advisory Committee
and the Multicultural Advisory Committee, Hanson said he had
received a large volume of e-mail and letters about the
restructuring plan.
"The volume of mail tells me people are very invested in the
strategic planning process," he said. However, it appeared many
people were focused on the church's structure rather than its
mission, which the proposal was