Final Preparations Made for ELCA Youth Gathering
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Organizers worked with a host of volunteers last week to make final preparations for some 40,000 young people and adult sponsors from around the world who will travel to St. Louis this week to attend the 2000 Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)....
Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation Supports ELCA Initiatives
CHICAGO (ELCA) - To support the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) efforts to teach the faith and deepen worship life, the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation, Minneapolis, provided $250,000 for the work of the church's initiatives. "Deepen our Worship Life" and "Teach the Faith" are two of seven ELCA "Initiatives to...
Knoche Elected Lutheran Bishop of Delaware-Maryland Synod
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. Gerard Knoche Jr., New Hope Lutheran Church, Columbia, Md., was elected June 17 to a six-year term as bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at Western Maryland College, Westminster, Md. On the fifth...
ELCA Celebrates 30TH Anniversary of Women's Ordination
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is celebrating 2000 as the 30th anniversary of ordaining Lutheran women in the United States. The 5.2-million member church is marking the year with local and regional events across the United States and Caribbean. At the end of 1999, 2,358...
ELCA Helps Virgin Islands Residents in Disaster Preparation
CHICAGO (ELCA) The U.S. Virgin Islands may be affected heavily during this year's hurricane season, said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor. Furst recently visited the islands, where LDR has been helping people get ready for the possibility...
Lutherans Begin Season of Synod Assemblies
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Thirty of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) completed their annual assemblies between March 25 and June 1; the remaining assemblies will be completed by July 9. The first 30 assemblies addressed a wide range of subjects, including an ecumenical proposal for...
Olson Re-Elected Lutheran Bishop of Southwestern Minnesota
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Stanley N. Olson was elected June 10 to a second six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn. On the assembly's third ballot Olson received...
deFreese Elected Lutheran Bishop of Nebraska
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David L. deFreese, First Lutheran Church, Kearney, Neb., was elected June 10 to a six-year term as bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Sioux Land Conference Center, Marina Inn, South Sioux City,...
Freiheit Elected Lutheran Bishop of Central-Southern Illinois
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, First English Lutheran Church, Peoria, Ill., was elected June 10 to a six-year term as bishop of the Central-Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield, Ill. On the...
Justman Named Bishop of ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. James A. Justman, Appleton, Wis., was elected June 10 to a six-year term as bishop of the East-Central Synod of Wisconsin of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton. On the fifth and final ballot,...
ELCA, Other Denominations Sponsor Mission Personnel Orientation
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), along with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), The Episcopal Church and the Volunteer Missionary Movement, a lay mission organization rooted in the Roman Catholic Church, will hold their annual summer orientation and preparation program for missionaries. The program will be held...
ELCA Official Observes Haitian Elections
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (ELCA) -- Gaylord M. Thomas, director, community development services, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Division for Church in Society, served as an observer in an election that was the country's first democratic process in three years. The elections took place on May 21, 2000, after being postponed...
ELCA Task Force Drafting Study Materials on Health, Health Care
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 11,000 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will have materials early next year to conduct a study of what they want to say about health and health care in a social statement to be issued in 2003. The ELCA task force on health...
ELCA Sponsors Worship 2000 Jubilee July 10-13
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is sponsoring "Worship 2000," the denomination's first national conference devoted solely to worship, July 10-13 here at Navy Pier. The national conference will include worship services and plenary and small-group presentations by well-known Christian speakers and visits to significant sites...
Payne Elected Lutheran Bishop of New England
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Margaret G. Payne, Shelburne, Mass., was elected June 2 to a six-year term as bishop of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, Mass. On the fifth and final ballot...
U.S. Workshop on Christian Unity Celebrates Lutheran Agreements
LOUISVILLE, Ky (ELCA) -- Tears of joy and tears of sadness were often the same tears the morning of May 17, as worshipers approached the altar of the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, Ky. The Lutheran-Reformed celebration of the Lord's Supper was a symbol of unity and...
Lutherans Address Farm Issues at NCC Mission Board Session
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (ELCA) -- Lutherans were key contributors to an ecumenical meeting here in April that examined a variety of agricultural and rural issues. The Agricultural Mission Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC) met in its annual study session with the theme...
Lutheran Ecumenical Representatives Network Enters New Phase
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has made a series of ecumenical decisions in recent years, and now it's time to digest the resulting ecumenical agreements, said the Rev. Dennis A. Andersen, Bethany Lutheran Church, Seattle. Andersen was named president of the Lutheran Ecumenical Representatives...
ELCA Team Supports Multicultural Strategies
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Multicultural strategies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have been implemented with the help of a multicultural initiatives coordinating team of the church. Members of the team met here May 18 to help the church meet its goal for full partnership and participation of African...
African American Lutherans Hear 'State of the Church'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- About 80 African American Lutherans and pastors of African American and Black Lutheran congregations gathered here May 12-13 for one of seven "Proclaiming the Power 2000" events. They came to hear the needs and concerns of the Black community in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)....
