News

The Church Council of the ELCA met at the Eaglewood Conference Center, Itasca, Ill., March 30-April 2. The council, which serves as the ELCA’s board of directors, met in plenary on Friday, March 31, and spent the remainder of its time in retreat, focused on the Called Forward Together in Christ process that will determine goals and priority areas for the ELCA.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has issued a pastoral message on Syria.

More than 7 million people in South Sudan need humanitarian assistance as a result of drought and renewed violence. According to UNICEF, famine was recently declared in the north-central part of the country, where 100,000 people are facing imminent starvation.

The ELCA's first comprehensive campaign, Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA, is celebrating the beginning of its fourth year with $113 million in cash gifts and gift commitments, representing 57 percent of the five-year, $198 million goal by Jan. 31, 2019.

The Conference of Bishops of the ELCA emphasized leadership development and congregational growth when it met here March 2-7.

In observance of International Women’s Day, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a pastoral letter.

In the preeminent U.S. observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (Oct. 31, 2017), the ELCA Conference of Bishops' Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Committee and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Committee gathered March 2 for a Lutheran-Catholic service of Common Prayer. The service followed the Common Prayer liturgical guide, developed for the joint ecumenical commemoration held in Lund, Sweden, on Oct. 31, 2016, co-hosted by The Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, and leaders from The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have issued an Ash Wednesday statement addressing refugees and migrants.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a letter in response to recent attacks and threats on the Jewish Community.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has issued the following pastoral message in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will participate in nationwide commemoration activities Jan. 14-15.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, delivers her Christmas message.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, asked the president to allow Palestine’s application for full membership in the United Nations to move forward before he leaves office in January.

The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) took action that will help determine the future directions and priorities of this church when it met here Nov. 10-13.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, participated in a ceremony Nov. 15 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) at which the seminary returned a rare 9th century Greek manuscript of the complete New Testament to the Greek Orthodox Church. LSTC is one of eight ELCA seminaries.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a statement on Standing Rock.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, and leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, and The Episcopal Church have prepared a series of Advent devotions for members of the four denominations.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA joined Lutheran and Catholic leaders for a joint ecumenical commemoration of the Reformation on Oct. 31 in Lund, Sweden.

In honor of Veterans Day (Friday, Nov. 11), the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, is calling on the church to pray for members of the armed services, veterans, chaplains and their families.

The Conference of Bishops of the ELCA approved the redesign of the first-call process and continued discerning the church's future priorities in a process known as "Called Forward Together in Christ" when it met here Sept. 27 – Oct. 4.