ELCA Assembly Supports Family Farms, Amends Middle East Action
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Support for family farms and a change to their Aug. 9 action on Middle East tensions came Aug. 12 when voting members took action at the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is...
ELCA Assembly Receives Rural Summit Report
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Leaders from Lutheran social ministry groups and national farm organizations gathered earlier this year for a first-ever rural summit to discuss the state of U.S. agriculture. Sandra LaBlanc, ELCA director for rural ministry resources and networking, reported on the summit in a rural ministry update at the...
Correction
CORRECTION In the story, "ELCA Presiding Bishop-Elect Reflects on Assembly Issues," there was an error. In the 10th and 11th paragraphs, the story incorrectly reported the date of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Philadelphia. The correct year of that assembly was 1997. A corrected version of the story appears on...
ELCA Presiding Bishop-Elect Reflects on Assembly Issues
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- When elected presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, bishop of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod, told the assembly that elected him, "I do not regard this as an election won but a calling received." The churchwide assembly,...
ELCA Assembly Draws Anti-Gay Protestors
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Protestors from two Baptist congregations raised signs denouncing inclusion of gay, lesbian and divorced persons in the Lutheran church as several buses of assembly voting members rode to a celebration for Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson's ministry at the Indianapolis Zoo Aug. 10. Protests began again about...
ELCA Assembly Elects Mark Hanson Presiding Bishop
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, 54, bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was elected presiding bishop of the ELCA on the fifth and final ballot Aug. 11. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is...
ELCA Assembly Receives Explanation on Electronic Voting Error
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the 2001 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received an explanation about an error that occurred with the electronic voting machines being used to conduct an election for a presiding bishop for the ELCA. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative...
ELCA Assembly to Consider Two Candidates for Presiding Bishop
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The. Rev. Mark S. Hanson, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Saint Paul Area Synod, St. Paul, Minn., took the lead after the fourth ballot for presiding bishop of the ELCA. The Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh,...
ELCA Assembly Encouraged to Recall 'Songs of Faith'
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Christians have much to learn from past generations and from each other, said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Almen delivered his report Aug. 10 to the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the...
ELCA Assembly Learns Mid-Sized Congregations Are Reaching out
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with mid-sized membership are learning to evangelize and attract new members as part of a churchwide initiative. The Rev. Marta Poling-Goldenne, director for education and evangelism, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries, gave a report on the "Mid- Sized...
ELCA Assembly Hears How Congregations Talk on Tough Issues
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Church members are learning to discuss contentious issues, said the Rev. Charles Miller, director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Church in Society. Miller presented progress on an ELCA initiative on witnessing to the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the chief...
ELCA Leaders Meet with Homosexual Rights Leaders
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Five leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met with four leaders of organizations that seek church policy changes that would allow gay and lesbian people who are in committed relationships to serve in the ordained ministry. The group also discussed plans for related issues...
ELCA Assembly Receives Preliminary Budget
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The first presentation of the 2002 and 2003 fiscal year budget proposals for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) came before the 2001 Churchwide Assembly in a plenary session here Aug. 9. The Rev. Robert N. Bacher, ELCA executive for administration, presented the proposals totaling more...
ELCA Assembly Gives Servus Dei to Richard L. Mcauliffe
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America today conferred the Servus Dei medal upon Richard L. McAuliffe, treasurer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention...
ELCA Assembly Receives Greetings from World Council of Churches
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Dr. Marion Best, vice moderator of the governing body of the World Council of Churches (WCC), brought greetings Aug.10, from that body to the ELCA churchwide assembly. The WCC represents 400 million members in 342 churches in 128 countries, and the ELCA is a member. The Churchwide...
ELCA Assembly Hears Third Ballot Results for Presiding Bishop
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), maintained his lead on the third ballot for presiding bishop of the ELCA. McCoid is also chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, an advisory body of the...
ELCA Assembly Receives Greetings from Lutheran Church in Jordan
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Viola Raheb, director of Lutheran schools in Jerusalem and Palestine, brought greetings Aug. 9 from Bishop Munib A. Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Palestine (ELCJ) to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14...
ELCA Assembly Participants Discuss Ideas on Rural Ministry
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- There is hope for rural ministry, said members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), but congregations must share ideas and educate others about the rural crisis. ELCA participants in the 2001 Churchwide Assembly discussed rural ministry in a hearing Aug. 9. The churchwide assembly, the...
ELCA Assembly Discusses Homosexuality in Well-Attended Hearings
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Hundreds of voting members and visitors came to talk and listen at two Aug. 9 hearings on "Homosexuality in the Church." Each 45-minute forum was moderated by ELCA Church Council member Ellen Maxon, Milwaukee. Only voting members had voice at the two hearings. The churchwide assembly, the...
ELCA Assembly Prompts Gay and Lesbian Meetings
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- A non-traditional congregation of 142 people gathered in a traditional sanctuary of Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral here for a midday festival worship during the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 9. The Rev. Deborah D. Conrad of Indiana- Kentucky Synod preached and Bishop Kenneth R. Olsen, ELCA Metropolitan...
