News

by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service The Rev. Lawrence J. Clark, executive director, Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta (LTCA), is the speaker March 25 and April 1 on "Day 1," a nationally broadcast weekly radio program and podcast. Each program includes a sermon by Clark and an interview with him...

GALVESTON, Texas (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), expressed thanks for the generosity of ELCA members who gave millions of dollars and volunteered their time to help residents along the U.S. Gulf Coast recover from the devastating 2005 hurricane...

GALVESTON, Texas (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), told the ELCA Conference of Bishops that each of the 65 ELCA synods will be sent a one-time $10,000 grant from the churchwide organization to be used for "evangelical outreach." Hanson...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Trustees of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Board of Pensions approved a proposal to move the church's health plan toward a wellness plan. The trustees met here Feb. 23-25 and took several actions, including proposed plan amendments for 2008 that will put greater emphasis on...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- On Feb. 26 the board of regents of Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas, named the Rev. Ann M. Svennungsen to become the university's 14th president. Effective July 1, Svennungsen will be the first woman president in TLU's 116-year history. TLU is one of 28 colleges and universities...

KENNER, La. (ELCA) -- Pastors and lay members of congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in southern Louisiana met here Feb. 22 with the ELCA presiding bishop. In a public forum, they shared a mixture of joys and thanks, as well as concerns and frustrations about the...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- More than 800 college and university students from across the country are traveling to the U.S. Gulf Coast during spring break to rebuild homes damaged during the 2005 hurricane season. Through "What a Relief!" -- an opportunity for students and others in campus communities to get involved...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- A report released Feb. 22 details "disturbing" conditions at the two U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities which house families undergoing immigration proceedings. "Locking Up Family Values: The Detention of Immigrant Families," released by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the Women's Commission for...

by John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service* Two graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C., have given the school a $5.1 million gift, the largest financial gift in the college's history. Lenoir-Rhyne College is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. John and Marilyn Moretz,...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In 2007 Lutheran Disaster Response -- a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod -- is expending $8.3 million in response to the 2005 hurricane season. Since that season Lutherans have raised more than $26 million to organize and fund...

by John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service Three Lutheran college presidents signed the "American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment," a pledge to take a leadership role in addressing global warming. Two presidents who signed as members of the commitment's "Leadership Circle" are Dr. Richard L. Torgerson of Luther College,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined leaders of four other Christian denominations Feb. 15 in sending a letter to all members of the U.S. Congress, calling for a compassionate and just federal budget in 2008. "As...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and the Rev. Ishmael Noko, LWF general secretary, have joined other Christian leaders asking the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis to drop its law suit challenging...

by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service The Journal of Lutheran Ethics (JLE) February 2007 issue features four discussion papers on the topic of human sexuality. The papers were originally presented Jan. 3-5 at the 14th Annual Gathering of Lutheran Ethicists at the Catholic Conference Formation Center in Dallas. Forty-five...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dr. Timothy Johnson, longtime medical editor for ABC News and an ordained minister of the Evangelical Covenant Church, is the featured guest on the Feb. 18 edition of "Grace Matters," the radio ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In the program the Rev. Peter W....

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- As football fans across the country watched the Indianapolis Colts gallop to victory Feb. 4 in the NFL's "Super Bowl" championship game, faith groups also trotted to victory in a championship effort of their own -- the "Souper Bowl of Caring," a national effort among faith groups...

by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service Sara Cutter, a student at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C., and a candidate for ordained ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is the Lutheran winner of an annual essay contest sponsored by the National Workshop on Christian Unity. Cutter presented...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A discipline hearing committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) ruled Feb. 7 that the Rev. Bradley E. Schmeling be removed from the ELCA clergy roster effective Aug. 15, 2007. Schmeling, who reported to his bishop that he is in a committed relationship with another...

WASHINGTON (ELCA) -- A study guide on global poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Episcopal Church, is available for download and for purchase through Augsburg Fortress. "God's Mission in the World" is intended as a resource for congregations and...

by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service "Trading Graces" -- an online auction on eBay hosted by Lutheran Services in America (LSA) -- will open Feb. 25 and continue through March 22. Now in its second year, Trading Graces is an effort to raise awareness and funds to support Lutheran...