MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – Strong winds and heavy rain damaged the 90-year-old metal steeple at Central Lutheran Church here and damaged a section of the roof of the Minneapolis Convention Center, the site of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
There were no immediate reports of injury, according to the Associated Press (AP).
In addition, the AP reported that “outdoor tents and chairs” set up outside for the ELCA assembly were scattered, and some trees were toppled by the storm.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is “God’s work. Our hands.”
The severe weather moved through the downtown area of Minneapolis shortly after the assembly’s afternoon plenary session began Aug. 19. Convention center security staff moved all voting members, staff and visitors into Hall E, the assembly plenary hall in the convention center. All remained there for about one hour while the storms passed, and the assembly continued without interruption.
At the time of the storm, Dr. Diane Jacobson, professor of Old Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and director of the Book of Faith Initiative, was leading a scheduled Bible study.
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Information about the 2009 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
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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
