Lutherans Continue Response to Domestic Disasters
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), continues to help survivors recover from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters across the United States. "This year has brought an unprecedented number of disasters," said the Rev....
ELCA Education Board Recommends Rethinking 'Future Design'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES) made three recommendations in response to a proposal from the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop to restructure the churchwide organization by February 2004. The board spent much of its...
ELCA Outreach Board Responds to 'Future Design' of Structure
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Outreach weighed the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal that would restructure the churchwide organization of the 5 million-member church in February. The "future design" appears to dismantle many of the barriers that keep different...
ELCA Awards 'In The City for Good' Grants Totaling $278,000
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The "In the City for Good" Fund Team of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) awarded 44 grants totaling $278,000 in 2003 to revitalize ELCA ministries in urban areas. Grants ranged from $1,000 for Project Hope in Houston to $30,000 for the Noah's Ark Community Coffee...
Lutherans Respond to Disasters Worldwide
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) continues to provide funds for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters in China, India and other parts of the world. Coordinated by the ELCA Division for Global Mission, International...
'Lutheran Voices' Series Introduced; Online Discussion this Month
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A 12-volume book series focusing on Lutheran theology, what it means to be Lutheran, and how Lutheran teachings can enrich and guide congregations and members is available through Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Several books in the new "Lutheran...
ELCA Unveils Proposal For New Churchwide Structure
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- On Sept. 15 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Office of the Presiding Bishop unveiled a proposal that the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will present to the ELCA Church Council in November. The proposal would reorganize the churchwide structure of the...
ELCA Hosts 'Renewing Worship Days' this Fall
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Pastors, musicians and others invested in renewing the worship life of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are gathering for "Renewing Worship Days," one-day workshops, at more than 30 locations across the country this fall. "We have three main goals for Renewing Worship Days," said Cheryl...
ELCA Issues Study Guide on 'The Church and Homosexuality'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) mailed about 18,000 copies of "Journey Together Faithfully, Part Two: The Church and Homosexuality" on Sept. 5 to the pastors and lay leaders of the church. A task force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality compiled the 49-page study guide and...
Lutherans Help Children Cope with Sept. 11
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Many children from New York and New Jersey are still affected by the terrorist attacks on the United States Sept. 11, 2001, according to the Rev. Ann M. Tiemeyer. "New Ground Day Camp," a children's day camp hosted by Lutherans, provided a way for those children to...
Scholarships Awarded To International Students Attending Lutheran Colleges
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) awarded scholarships of $1,500 each to 16 international students attending ELCA colleges and universities. The scholarships, from the Phoebe Herman Scholarship Endowment Fund, were awarded through the ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES). Phoebe Herman was an active...
ELCA Board of Pensions Launches "Healthy Leaders" Campaign
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Moving against the tide of the U.S. healthcare industry's illness model, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Board of Pensions staff and trustees discussed plans for the board's health and wellness initiative. At their July 30-Aug. 1 meeting, board trustees heard Bradley Joern, the Board's health...
Lutheran College Fairs Set for Fall 2003
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Most of the colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will participate in "Lutheran College Fair" programs at 15 locations in 11 states this fall. The purpose of the fairs is to connect Lutheran college representatives with prospective students and their families. The...
ELCA will Host 'Friends Of Davey And Goliath" this Fall
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will host "Friends of Davey and Goliath" in special receptions throughout the country this fall. At the receptions, guests will view a special presentation of "Oh Davey ... History of the 'Davey and Goliath' Television Series," a documentary produced by...
Lutherans Pursue Good Coffee, Fairly
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- After Sunday morning worship or during an evening church council meeting the deep, rich aroma and smooth, caramel-like taste of coffee can be invigorating for Lutherans. But for some members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) coffee -- one of the most heavily traded commodities...
Women of the ELCA Hosts New Web Magazine for Young Women
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Cafe: Stirring the Spirit Within" -- a new online magazine (or e-zine) intended for women ages 20-35 -- was launched Aug. 18 by Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the women's organization of the church. The faith-based e-zine will be issued five times a...
Holy Spirit at Work, Next Two Years Difficult, Says ELCA Presiding Bishop
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) - Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will enter the "next stage" of conversation about the place of people who are gay and lesbian in the life of the ELCA with "a new sense of confidence that the Holy Spirit is at work." Those were...
ELCA Assembly Elects Council, Board, Committee Members
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) elected leaders to serve on the Church Council, churchwide boards and committees Aug. 15 and 16 at the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines...
ELCA Assembly Completes Work On Resolutions
(ELCA) -- The 2003 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Aug. 16 adopted seven recommendations and defeated one resolution brought before the assembly's reference and counsel committee. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines...
ELCA Assembly Adopts Plan for Mission
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The 2003 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) authorized, 838 to 25, that the Office of the ELCA Presiding Bishop oversee and implement "Faithful Yet Changing: The Plan for Mission in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" Aug. 17. The churchwide assembly, the...
