ELCA Churchwide Assembly To Meet In Orlando, Fla., Aug. 8-14

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Voting members of the 2005 Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly will act on
several proposals -- including plans for restructuring and
governance changes for the ELCA churchwide organization, new
worship resources, interim Eucharistic sharing with the United
Methodist Church, proposals emerging from the ELCA Studies on
Sexuality and two ethnic ministry strategies. The assembly will
be held Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott Resort and
Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.
About 2,000 people -- including 1,018 voting members elected
by synods -- are expected to participate in the ELCA's ninth
biennial assembly. The theme is "Marked With the Cross of Christ
Forever," taken from the ELCA's mission statement.
The Churchwide Assembly is the ELCA's chief legislative
authority and represents the 5 million members of the ELCA across
the United States and Caribbean. The ELCA is the fifth largest
Protestant denomination in the United States and is organized
into 65 synods, each headed by a bishop.
The ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, led by its bishop, the Rev.
Edward R. Benoway, is hosting the assembly, and volunteers from
the synod have been involved in making local arrangements. A
committee of the churchwide organization is planning details of
the assembly and is chaired by Myrna J. Sheie, executive
assistant to the presiding bishop.
Daily worship, Bible study and prayer are planned. Bible
study will focus on the assembly theme.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, in his fourth year as ELCA
presiding bishop, will chair the assembly. Hanson is also
president of the 66-million member Lutheran World Federation,
based in Geneva, Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of the LWF.
Assisting Hanson during plenary will be the Rev. Lowell G. Almen,
ELCA secretary, and Carlos Pena, ELCA vice president, Galveston,
Texas.
Continuing with a program established at the 2003 assembly,
official "congregational observers" may attend by registering
with the ELCA Office of the Secretary. Each of the ELCA's 10,657
congregations may send one representative. Observers will have
reserved seating in the plenary hall, and receive reports and
materials. Official observers have no voice or vote in assembly
discussions.
The ELCA constitution requires a churchwide assembly every
two years. Significant funding for the assembly is provided by
the churchwide organization with some financial support from
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a not-for-profit financial
services organization based in Minneapolis.

Restructuring, Governance Changes Proposed for Churchwide
Organization
Last November, the ELCA Church Council transmitted to the
assembly for final consideration a report and recommendations for
restructuring the work of the churchwide organization, as well as
a report on proposed governance changes.
The council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between churchwide
assemblies.
If the restructuring plan and corresponding amendments to
governing and policy documents are adopted, the churchwide
organization will enter the design's implementation phase.
The proposal organizes the work of the churchwide
organization into seven program units: Church in Society;
Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission; Global Mission;
Multicultural Ministries; and Vocation and Education. Augsburg
Fortress Publishers, the ELCA publishing ministry, and Women of
the ELCA, the church's women's organization, remain as separately
incorporated units.
The Office of the Presiding Bishop will retain its present
functions and be responsible for ecumenical and interreligious
relations, human resources, research and evaluation, synodical
relations and worship. The Office of the Treasurer will retain
its present functions, including information technology and
management services. The Office of the Secretary will retain its
present functions.
There are six service units in the proposal: Communication,
which includes a new relationship with The Lutheran, the magazine
of the ELCA; Development Services, including the ELCA Foundation
and the separately incorporated Endowment Fund; and the
separately incorporated Mission Investment Fund and Board of
Pensions, both of which would retain their current roles.
As for proposed governance changes, the council and ELCA
Conference of Bishops will provide a "systematic and
standardized" process to enable members in synods to discuss and
respond to significant decisions to be made by the assembly,
beginning in 2007. The churchwide organization and council will
be committed to consult regularly with synods, particularly in
years when there is no Churchwide Assembly.
The Church Council will remain at 33 voting members plus the
four churchwide officers: the presiding bishop, vice president,
secretary and treasurer. Council members would be nominated by
synods and elected by the Churchwide Assembly beginning in 2007.
A number of new advisors would be formally welcomed at
council meetings. Existing boards and committees that relate to
divisions and departments of the churchwide organization would
become program committees with advisory responsibilities.

Worship Proposal Result of Significant Participation in Project
The ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries and Augsburg
Fortress Publishers are coordinating the ELCA's Renewing Worship
project.
The assembly will act on a proposal that directs the ELCA
Office of the Presiding Bishop to complete a liturgical review of
proposed content for a new book of worship. It calls on the
presiding bishop to work with the church to further the
development of worship resources and commit to ecumenical
cooperation in the development of these resources.
The "next generation" of resources for Renewing Worship
involves the development and availability of a "family" of
resources that has at its center a new primary book of worship.
The proposal acknowledges the widespread participation of
Lutherans in the worship project, including development of
provisional resources, testing and responding to proposals,
participation in worship events and congregational engagement on
issues related to worship.

Interim Eucharistic Sharing an Interim Step Toward Possible Full
Communion
The Church Council recommended that the assembly approve a
relationship of "Interim Sharing of the Eucharist" between the
ELCA and the United Methodist Church.
The United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops approved
the interim agreement in May. The two churches have been involved
in theological dialogue for nearly 30 years.
With an interim commitment, congregations and judicatories
of both churches will be encouraged to study theological
documents, participate jointly in Holy Communion and explore new
opportunities for shared ministry. Eventually, the two churches
may achieve a relationship of full communion, which would allow
for clergy of one church body to serve in congregations of the
other church and would create opportunities for joint ministry.

Sexuality Proposals Result of a Four-Year Effort
The Church Council developed and forwarded resolutions to
the assembly which address whether or not the church will bless
same-sex relationships and whether or not the ELCA will allow
people in such relationships to serve the church as professional
lay and ordained ministers.
The proposals were developed during the first part of a six-
year study process known as the "ELCA Studies on Sexuality." A
study director and a task force developed a report and
recommendations, and made them public Jan. 13. Church members
were encouraged to respond to the recommendations; responses were
provided to the council as it considered resolutions for