ELCA Assembly Adopts Rules of Organization and Procedure

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The "Rules of Organization and Procedure"
for the 2007 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) were adopted in the assembly's first
business session Aug. 6 with one rule change. The standing rules
describe the composition, functions and responsibilities of the
churchwide assembly as transmitted by the Church Council in
November 2006.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6 to 11 at Navy Pier's Festival
Hall. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,071 ELCA
voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in
God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
The assembly voted to change one rule, opting to limit
individual speeches during debate to two minutes each instead of
the proposed three minutes each. "We adopted this motion about
midway through the 2005 assembly when it looked like we were
starting to run short of time," said Kevin S. Bardonner, voting
member, ELCA Indiana-Kentucky Synod, who offered the amendment.
"Additionally, it will allow for more breadth of participation
from the voting members, and I think that would be a good thing
as well, with the difficult business we have to conduct."
The amendment was adopted by a vote of 829 to 197; the
remaining rules were adopted by a vote of 985 to 28. No other
rule changes were offered by the assembly.
"I can see by the smiles who was in Orlando," said the Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, following the vote.
At the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, there was a
lengthy debate about the rules that extended the first plenary
session beyond its planned ending time.
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be
found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog