ELCA Assembly Leader Asks Members to Respect Each Other, Allow Time

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- In final comments to the 2009 Churchwide
Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, pledged to the voting members "to
speak well of you and of this church, and I ask you to do the same."
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, met here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. About
2,000 people participated, including 1,045 ELCA voting members. The theme
for the biennial assembly was "Godâ€TMs work. Our hands."
During the week, the voting members adopted, following considerable
debate, proposals to direct that changes be made to the ELCA's ministry
policies to make it possible for people in publicly accountable,
lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA
associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.
Hanson, who presided at the assembly, said, "One way I will speak
well of you is not to use the word 'fear' to describe those who oppose
the actions that prevailed in many of our discussions. It's not helpful
to our life together. It's not respectful of deeply held convictions
shaped by theology and Scripture and faith."
"I am committed to the ELCA continuing to be a church body where
people feel safe to teach, to preach, to lead and to serve in ways that
they believe are consistent with the vows one takes in ordination and the
promises one makes in the affirmation of Baptism," he told voting members.
The church needs to be a safe place for "rich theological
conversation, biblical inquiry and faith expressions and explorations," a
quality of the Lutheran Church for 500 years," he said. Hanson said the
steps of implementing the actions of the assembly will take time. "My
prayer and my plea is that we take that time together rather than
separately," he said.
Speaking to members who opposed the church's decisions on ministry
policies, Hanson requested that, if they are wondering about their place
in the ELCA, "let us be part of that discernment."
"Take time with your decision. Step back and understand the
magnitude of the decision if you choose to leave, because we will be
diminished by your absence," he said, adding that the capacity for the
ELCA to do its work will also be diminished.
The Good News of Jesus Christ "is too good to squander with internal
conflicts that will drain our energies when our capacity is to bring the
Good News to the world so that all might know Jesus," Hanson continued.
He concluded by thanking the voting members for the week-long
assembly, noting that "it's been a challenge, it's been a joy."
David D. Swartling, ELCA secretary, announced that the 2011 ELCA
Churchwide Assembly will be held at the Marriott World Center, Orlando,
Fla., Aug. 14-22, 2011.
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Information about the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is 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
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