ELCA Assembly Encouraged to Support Young Adult Ministries
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Evangelizing young adults requires church leaders willing to stretch beyond traditional worship and programs, said Desiree Quintana, a young adult who chairs an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) initiative to connect with her generation. Quintana reported progress on the initiative "Connect With Youth and Young Adults"...
ELCA Assembly Acts on First Reference and Counsel Proposals
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churchwide assembly approved four actions Aug. 12 that were the first proposals from the reference and counsel committee. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center. There are...
New ELCA Presiding Bishop Answers Questions via 'Webcast'
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop- elect of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), answered a variety of questions Aug. 12 from ELCA members throughout the church, offering a view of what they can expect from his leadership. Hanson, 54, is bishop of the ELCA Saint...
ELCA Assembly Receives Greetings from Ecumenical Partners
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received greetings from the Rev. Patrice Rosner, director for ministries in Christian education, National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC); the Most Rev. Tod Brown, chair of the bishops committee for ecumenical and...
ELCA Assembly County Fair Informs
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Transformation and information came out of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 2001 Churchwide Assembly's "County Fair" in Indianapolis. The County Fair was created as a midway of resources and data tucked into a dunking booth, quilts, a barn, and a variety of games that drew...
ELCA Assembly Adopts School-Vouchers Social Policy
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- After adding two amendments, voting members at the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved a social-policy resolution on school vouchers Aug. 13. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center....
ELCA Assembly Learns Results of Second Ballot for Secretary
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- After two ballots, the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, 59, continues to lead in the voting for secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (ELCA). In a report to the churchwide assembly Aug. 12, Almen, who currently serves in the position, had 546 votes on the second...
Assembly Approves 'En-Bloc' Constitution Changes, One Other
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) Voting members at the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Aug.11 approved a set of "en- bloc" amendments to the church body's Constitution and one separate constitutional change that allows churchwide units to have more than one executive director, with certain approvals. The churchwide assembly,...
ELCA Assembly Adopts Asian and Pacific Islander Ministry Strategy
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 2001 Churchwide Assembly voted 948 to 6 to adopt the Asian and Pacific Islander Ministry Strategy presented to the assembly by the Rev. Frederick E. N. Rajan, executive director of the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries, and the...
ELCA Assembly Adopts New Evangelism Strategy
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly adopted a new evangelism strategy, "Toward a Vision for Evangelism in the ELCA." The new strategy was adopted with 99.1 percent of the voting members' approval, 965-9. The previous evangelism strategy, "A Telling Witness to...
ELCA Assembly Affirms CUIC Relationship
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) affirmed by a vote of 892-25 that the ELCA accept an invitation to become a "partner in mission and dialogue" with Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC). The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA,...
ELCA Assembly Receives Young Adult Convocation Report
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the 2001 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received a report from the young adult convocation under way in conjunction with the assembly. About 30 Lutherans -- ages 18 to 30 -- are participating in the convocation. The churchwide assembly,...
ELCA Assembly Hears Plans for Discipleship Programming
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are learning discipleship through new programming, said the Rev. David Poling-Goldenne, director for education and evangelism, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries. His comments were part of a report to the ELCA 2001 Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the...
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...
