ELCA Assembly Hears Final Report of Secretary

CHICAGO (ELCA)-- Through a videotaped report to the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's churchwide assembly here
Aug. 8, the Rev. Lowell G. Almen gave an overview of his 20 years
of experiences as the church body's first secretary. Almen, 65,
will leave office Oct. 31.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6 to11 at Navy Pier's Festival
Hall. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,068 ELCA
voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in
God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
The video report starts and ends with scenes of Almen at
historic Augustus Lutheran Church, near Philadelphia, whose first
pastor in the mid 1700s was the Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg.
Almen referred to Muhlenberg as "a model in many ways for
all who lead and serve in the church; [truly] a reminder of
faithful witness to Scripture."
In his report, Almen often mentioned "surprises" in his
ministry that began with his 1967 ordination and first call to a
church in North Dakota and the "principle-centered leadership" of
pastors and other church leaders through his later years as a
campus pastor; editor of The American Lutheran Church's magazine,
"The Lutheran Standard," and election as ELCA secretary at the
church body's 1987 constituting convention.
He spoke of associations over the years with a wide variety
of individuals, groups, and experiences -- from his first
congregation's exhibiting "a strong commitment to benevolence
support for the wider church," to a multitude of responsibilities
as ELCA secretary; to meetings and ecumenical associations with
recent popes and other denominational and world church leaders.
Almen said that he was completing his service as ELCA
secretary "with only a few regrets:"
+ "... that I have not been able to testify more eloquently
to the grand vision of our life together in this church as
imagined and expressed within the governing documents of the
ELCA."
+ "... that some leaders and members throughout this church
have not celebrated fully or undertaken enthusiastically the
interdependence and shared ministry to which God calls us."
"I do find my heart filled with gratitude -- gratitude for
having been able serve as this church's secretary," Almen said in
the video. "I am deeply grateful in so many ways."
Almen also thanked his wife, Sally, and their two adult
children for "the unbounded love that they have given me so
generously."
Voting members gave Almen two prolonged standing ovations --
first as the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop,
introduced him on the assembly platform, and again as Almen rose
at the end of his report to suggest the assembly sing a hymn,
"Your Hand, O God, Has Guided."
Almen said that hymn -- "if I were to select [one] as
parting words, [issues] a call for faithfulness in every
generation."
In his introductory remarks drawing the first round of
applause, Hanson asked the assembly to "join me in a show of
appreciation [for Almen's] remarkable ministry as secretary of
the ELCA -- profound gratitude to God for this servant who has so
faithfully and wisely served this church."
As that applause subsided, Hanson noticed that Almen's
usually solemn facial expression had changed.
"Well, we just set a record for the longest continuous smile
in 20 years," Hanson said, adding in jest that he was ordering
that a visual record of the moment be sent to the church
archives.
Hanson later indicated that Almen's video report would be
made available to the church.
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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:
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