News

The 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, by a vote of 811 to 55, approved adoption of the roster of Ministry of Word and Service.

The 2016 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly took several significant steps Wednesday moving forward the mission of this church as a church for the sake of the world.

Recognizing the ELCA as a Book of Faith church, ELCA Vice President Carlos Peña reflected on the 10th chapter of Luke as he opened his final report to the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

Lifting up the central Lutheran theme of God’s grace in action through God’s church, members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are gathering under the theme, “Freed and Renewed in Christ: 500 Years of God’s Grace in Action.”

Members of the ELCA are offering prayers for the congregation of Hawk Creek Lutheran Church near Sacred Heart, Minn., whose church suffered major damage in a fire July 23. The fire, which destroyed much of the sanctuary of the 142-year-old building, broke out after the church was struck by lightning.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has released a statement in response to the shootings in Baton Rouge, La., and Dallas that killed eight police officers.

Members of the ELCA will gather Aug. 8-13 in assembly at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Meeting under the theme “Freed and Renewed in Christ: 500 Years of God’s Grace in Action,” the assembly’s business will include preparations for observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

In a July 7 video message responding to the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minn., the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, urged members to “be present in our communities.”

Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA has adopted a new name: 1517 Media.

The Rev. Barbara Jeanne Collins, Selinsgrove, Pa., was elected June 18 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the Synod Assembly June 17-18 at Weber Chapel at Upper Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove.

The Rev. H. Jeffrey Clements, Rockford, was elected June 18 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the ELCA Northern Illinois ELCA. The election was held during the Synod Assembly June 16-18 at Centennial Hall at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.

The Rev. William O. Gafkjen, Indianapolis, was re-elected June 9 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the ELCA. The election was held during the synod assembly June 9-11 at the Century Center in South Bend, Ind.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a letter in response to the June 12 shooting that claimed the lives of 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. This is the deadliest mass shooting in U. S. history. In the letter Eaton states, “We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created in God’s image.”

The ELCA Federal Credit Union, the new credit union of the ELCA, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 6 at its headquarters in The Lutheran Center in Chicago. This is the first credit union chartered by the National Credit Union Administration to open in Illinois in 10 years. The institution will serve ELCA members, congregations and ELCA-related ministries—and their employees.

The Rev. Daniel G. Beaudoin, Stony Ridge, Ohio, was elected May 21 to a six-year term as bishop of the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the Synod Assembly May 19-21 at the Bowen Thompson Student Union at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, joined leaders of Christian churches and church-related organizations from the United States and the Holy Land in Atlanta April 19-20 for “Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of American and Palestinian Churches.”

In anticipation of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, the ELCA has introduced "Called Forward Together in Christ," an initiative that invites its 3.7 million members to consider what kind of church God is calling the ELCA to become.

The Church Council of the ELCA approved recommendations and implementing strategies to help sustain theological education across this church when it met here April 7-10. The council, which serves as the ELCA’s board of directors, also took action on a variety of matters designed to help move the church’s mission and ministries forward.

Affirming its commitment to ensure voting rights for all U.S. citizens, the ELCA has introduced ELCAvotes, an initiative to help members advocate for fair elections and engage in local efforts to guarantee the right to vote.

The ELCA has awarded the 2016-2017 Rossing Physics Scholarships to 11 ELCA college and university students. The annual scholarships are made possible through gifts from Dr. Thomas D. Rossing, who created the fund through the ELCA Foundation. There are 26 ELCA colleges and universities.