ELCA Assembly Hears First Ballot Results for Presiding Bishop
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. James A. Nestingen, professor of church history, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., received 108 votes on the first ballot for presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Nestingen received 11.31 percent out of 948 valid votes cast. The churchwide assembly, the chief...
ELCA Assembly Learns Worship Efforts to Be Strengthened
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have started a five-year process that will lead to new worship resources. Participants in the churchwide assembly heard a report Thursday about myriad efforts to deepen worship life in ELCA congregations. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority...
ELCA Assembly Adds Forum for Nominees for Presiding Bishop
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) agreed to a proposal from a voting member to add a question-and-answer forum for the seven remaining nominees for presiding bishop. The session will take place in the late afternoon hours Aug. 9. The churchwide assembly,...
ELCA Assembly Welcomed by Indiana-Kentucky Synod Bishop Stuck
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Bishop James A. Stuck welcomed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churchwide assembly meeting with a call and response, "God is good: All the time." Stuck greeted the assembly on behalf of the 240 congregations, 85,000 members of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod. "Our hundreds of volunteers are...
ELCA Assembly Hear Results of Second Ballot for Presiding Bishop
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), took the lead on the second ballot with 201 votes -- 19.74 percent of the 1,017 valid votes cast -- over other nominees for presiding bishop of the...
ELCA Bishops Pledge Financial Gifts to 'Stand with Africa'
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a resolution supporting "Stand With Africa: A Campaign of Hope," and pledged to provide individual financial gifts to the campaign in addition to their regular commitments to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. The Conference...
ELCA Leaders Receive Presentation from Lutheran Fraternals
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Church Council and Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received a special presentation on the proposed merger between Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL), based in Appleton, Wis., and Lutheran Brotherhood (LB), based in Minneapolis, at its meeting here Aug. 7-8. The...
ELCA Leaders Hear Preview of 2001 Churchwide Assembly
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) --The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will chair the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. Anderson highlighted some significant components of the assembly during meetings of the ELCA Church Council and ELCA Conference...
ELCA Assembly Agenda to Include Same-Sex Union Discussion
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- This may be the first time voting members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will discuss same- sex unions at a churchwide assembly, said the Rev. H. George Anderson, ELCA presiding bishop. At a news conference Monday, ELCA leaders highlighted same-sex unions as one of...
ELCA Council Elects New Committee Members
INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Church Council elected four people to the Advisory Committee for the ELCA Department of Communication and two people to the Steering Committee for the ELCA Commission for Women. The Church Council met August 7-8 at the Westin Indianapolis Hotel. Elected...
ELCA Hosts Special Convocations of Teaching Theologians, Bishops
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Every other year since 1990, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Ministry has hosted a Convocation of Teaching Theologians. It plans to host two special convocations exploring what the church means by "teaching theologians," what teaching theologians do for the church and what forms...
Menking Named Director of Lutheran Seminary Program in Austin
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Wayne L. Menking, Arlington, Texas, was appointed director of the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest (LSPS), Austin, Texas. Menking's appointment was announced by the Rev. Duane H. Larson, president, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, and the Rev. James Kenneth Echols, president, the Lutheran School...
2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to Consider Synod Resolutions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Resolutions asking for specific actions by the 2001 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will be presented to assembly voting members meeting Aug. 8-14 in Indianapolis. At least 131 resolutions -- known as "memorials" -- were sent by synods to the churchwide assembly...
Arab and Middle Eastern Lutherans Focus on Witness and Heritage
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Witnessing to the gospel" among people of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage was a focus for the sixth biennial assembly of the Association for Lutherans of Arab and Middle East Heritage (ALAMEH) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) here July 20-22. More than 125 participants...
New Director Named for ELCA Ministerial Health, Wellness Program
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Division for Ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has named Dr. Gwen W. Halaas, Kenosha, Wis., as project director for the ministerial health and wellness program for rostered clergy and lay leaders. Halaas will guide the program through the ELCA Division for Ministry...
Lutherans Gather for 2001 Global Mission Events
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Guests came from around the world to meet, talk, worship, pray and learn with missionaries and other members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) under the theme "Live God's Peace Together." More than 2,200 people gathered for Global Mission Events (GMEs) July 12-15 at the...
Lutheran Social Services Merge in Idaho, Oregon and Washington
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Social Services of Washington & Idaho and Lutheran Family Services of Oregon & Southwest Washington merged July 1 to create a new, tri-state social ministry agency -- Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW). LCSNW serves Washington, Oregon and Idaho communities through 25 offices and dozens of other...
Aid Association for Lutherans Awards Grants to ELCA Synod Projects
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) awarded 19 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) synod ministry projects grants totaling $244,000 as part of the agency's Judicatory Grant Program 2001 Project Awards. AAL is a fraternal benefit organization based in Appleton, Wis. Recently, AAL announced plans to merge with...
ELCA Congregations Approached for Wireless Antenna Leases
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With the rise of mobile communication services, congregations across the country have been approached by wireless carriers such as Sprint, Motorola, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, with hopes of installing antennas on the congregation's property. More recently, congregations have been approached by companies leasing bandwidth to wireless carriers...
ELCA Ministries Awarded Grants
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Twenty ministry projects of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) were awarded grants totaling $443,300 from the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation (LB) and Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) as part of the agencies' churchwide grant awards program for 2001. AAL, based in Appleton, Wis., and LB, based...
