ELCA Board Makes Recommendations in Light of Sept. 11 Attacks
TECHNY, Ill. (ELCA) -- The board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Global Mission (DGM) discussed and made recommendations on the church's response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, international perspectives on the tragedy, and the U.S.- Afghanistan conflict. The board met Oct. 18-20 at Divine...
'Meet Bishop Hanson' Video Now Available from ELCA
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A new video, "Meet Bishop Hanson," is available through the Department for Communication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The 11-minute video features exclusive interviews with the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, and his spouse, Ione Agrimson Hanson. Hanson, who was elected presiding...
ELCA Board Reviews Youth, Worship, Stewardship, Evangelism Plans
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- To help enhance the ministries of 10,816 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the board for the church's Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) authorized an open review of a preliminary draft on "principles for worship," endorsed a new multi-year plan for youth ministries and...
ELCA Issues First Draft of Statement on Health, Health Care
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Health, Healing, and Health Care: First Draft of a Social Statement" is now available on the World Wide Web and will be available within weeks from Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The document is the first draft of...
ELCA Publisher, Churchwide Unit Relationship Improving, Board Told
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Leaders of Augsburg Fortress, publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) have agreed on a strategy to improve the working relationship of the two units, according to the Rev. Marvin L. Roloff, president and chief executive...
Women of the ELCA Contributes Gift to Support ELCA Mission
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- To support the mission and ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Women of the ELCA -- the women's organization of the church -- extended a $641,938 gift to the ELCA. Among other actions, the amount of the gift was announced at the Women of...
Lutheran Relief Agency and Others Call for Aid in Afghanistan
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran World Relief and four other faith-based humanitarian agencies in the United States are calling for aid for Afghanistan, separate from military and partisan activities. In a Nov. 1 statement the agencies urged compliance with three humanitarian principles in order to ensure effective aid. Lutheran World Relief...
ELCA Publisher's 2001 Financial Losses Heavy but Situation Improving
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), incurred an operating loss of $4.22 million for the first nine months of 2001, said George W. Poehlman, Augsburg Fortress vice president for finance. However, the company showed operating profits for August and September,...
Episcopal Commission Assesses Lutheran Ordination Exceptions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations (SCER) of The Episcopal Church, USA, offered its assessment that a bylaw adopted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), allowing exceptions to the way the two churches agreed to ordain new clergy, "need not impair" the new full-communion relationship...
ELCA November 2001 Calendar
1-4 Division for Higher Education and Schools, Student Affairs Deans, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa. 1-4 Division for Congregational Ministries, Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) Multicultural Advisory Committee and Definitely Able Committee, Chicago 2-4 Board of Pensions, Trustees, Marquette Hotel, Minneapolis 2-4 Department for Communication, Advisory Committee, Lutheran Center, Chicago 2-4 Division...
Lutheran Services in America Tops NonProfit Times 100
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- For the second year in a row, Lutheran Services in America (LSA) has topped The NonProfit Times' list of 100 largest organizations. The publication released the "NPT 100" Nov.1, saying LSA also headed the list of organizations posting a financial increase this year, with an 87.5 percent...
Anderson Closes His Tenure as ELCA Presiding Bishop
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In 1517, Oct. 31 was the day Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, launching what became the Protestant Reformation. In 2001, it is the Rev. H. George Anderson's last day as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America...
Lutherans Increase Support for Afghanistan Refugees
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided an additional $150,000 Oct. 25 to support millions of people in Afghanistan who have fled their homes as a result of years of civil conflicts, natural disasters, poverty and United States air strikes there. The...
Lutherans Provide Funds to Support People in the Middle East
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided $50,000 Oct. 25 to support people affected by the crisis in the Middle East. "The vicious circle of killings and violence continues in Israel and the Palestinian territories," according to an Oct. 23 news release...
Augsburg Fortress CEO Will Not Seek Third Term, Search Process Begun
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. Marvin L. Roloff, president and chief executive officer of Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced Oct. 26 he will not seek a third term when his present four-year term concludes in 2004. Roloff, 67, informed the board...
ELCA to Address Sexual Exploitation, Health and Health Care
BALTIMORE (ELCA) -- Commercial sexual exploitation, and health and health care were among the main topics of discussion at the Oct. 18-20 meeting of the board of the Division for Church in Society (DCS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The board also reviewed actions of the ELCA...
Lutherans Continue 'Creative Ministry' Response to Victims
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran churches continue their "creative ministry" to respond to people directly impacted by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, according to the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director for Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran...
Lutherans Sponsor Online Conference on Faith, Health
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Seven "storytellers," five commentators and 360 registered guests from around the world got together on the Web at http://www.faithandlifeforum.org/ for four weeks of conversation about health, health care, health care professions and the Christian faith. "For the Love of Life: Living Faithfully for Good Health" was sponsored...
Bishop of ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod to Resign in 2002
CHICAGO (ELCA) The Rev. Robert W. Mattheis, bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced in a letter to synod congregations last month that he will resign as bishop effective May 31, 2002. Mattheis also reported his decision to the Sierra Pacific Synod...
Luther's Works Now Available on CD-ROM from Fortress Press
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The complete works of Martin Luther are now available on CD-ROM from Fortress Press, the academic book imprint for Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Fortress Press is working in conjunction with Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, the publishing...
