ELCA Congregations Focus on Discipleship
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are invited to participate in a yearlong focus on discipleship beginning in September. Under "Living Faith: A Call to Discipleship," congregations will focus on seven key faith practices for discipleship: prayer, study, worship, invitation, encouragement, service and giving....
ELCA Young People Will "Dance at the Cross Roads" this Summer
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will bring together about 40,000 high-school-age= =20 and adult Lutherans in two back-to-back events this year: June 28-July = 2,=20 and July 5-9. The gathering, "Dancing at the Cross Roads," will take place at the America's...
2000 ELCA Global Mission Events Feature 'Pray in the Spirit'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Global Mission Events (GMEs) -- opportunities for members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to learn about the church's mission work -- are scheduled at two sites in the United States this summer. The theme for each is "Pray in the Spirit At All Times."...
Camp Noah Expands to Serve Lutheran Children in Four States
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Camp Noah, a week-long day camp for children who have survived floods and other weather disasters, is expanding its program this summer to meet the needs of children in Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in...
Lutherans Work to End U.S. Military Operation on Vieques
DORADO, Puerto Rico (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Puerto Rico are working to put an end to U.S. military training on Vieques, an island eight miles east of Puerto Rico. "God is telling us that is it time to claim peace for Vieques,"...
Parish Nurses Attend ELCA Domestic Violence Prevention Conference
SAN ANTONIO (ELCA) -- More than 50 parish and registered nurses from throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) attended "Whole Bodies, Whole Selves: Domestic Violence and the Parish Nurse," May 5-7, at St. John's Lutheran Church here. The conference focused...
'Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace' to Air on PBS Stations June 14
NEW YORK (ELCA) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and author who resisted the Nazi regime and was executed near the end of World War II, is the subject of a 90-minute dramatic film that will air in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) June 14 at...
Lutherans Contribute to Cleanup Efforts after Floods in Missouri
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran=20 Church-Missouri Synod, provided an initial $5,000 grant for emergency=20 needs and recovery efforts after a storm produced floods in east-central=20= Missouri May 13-14. "As much as 14 inches of rain fell...
ELCA Visitors Greet, Learn from Nordic, German Lutherans
The trip was an ecumenical visit. But it was more than that too. The hosts taught the visitors about hospitality; theirs was as warm and inviting as the ever-present candles and flowers at dinners and in meeting rooms. Excited about this historic visit, the hosts created itineraries designed for mutual...
Bjornberg Re-Elected Bishop of ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Allan C. Bjornberg was elected May 19 to a second six-year term as bishop of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. On the first ballot, Bjornberg received 316...
Tiemann Elected Bishop of ELCA Southwestern Texas Synod
SEGUIN, Texas (ELCA) -- The Rev. Ray Tiemann, 47, was elected May 20 to a six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at its assembly here at Texas Lutheran University. On the fifth ballot, he received 228 votes to 205...
Mattheis Re-Elected Bishop of ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Robert W. Mattheis was elected May 20 to a second six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, Calif. Mattheis received 329 votes on...
Joint Declaration Affects U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- The "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification," signed by representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Vatican on Oct. 31, 1999, in Augsburg, Germany, did more than declare that certain 16th century condemnations between Lutherans and Catholics no longer apply. The formula used...
ELCA Synod Issues Statement on U.S. Military Operation on Vieques
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Caribbean Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) issued a statement May 12 that calls for an end to U.S. military occupation on Vieques, an island eight miles east of Puerto Rico. The synod, one of 65 of the ELCA, is made up of...
AAL Contributes Additional Funds for ELCA Identity Project
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL), a fraternal benefits organization based in Appleton, Wis., provided an additional $250,000 grant to support the Identity Project. The project is a multimedia advertising campaign aimed at raising awareness for the Lutheran Church and specifically the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)....
Lutherans Intensify Support for Global Hunger Relief, Development
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will add to its support for hunger relief and development worldwide with surplus income from the church's World Hunger Appeal. In 1999, members of the ELCA contributed more than $16 million to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal -- a record...
Christians Reflect on Water, Seeds, Soil During 'Rogation Days'
CHICAGO (ELCA) - "Rogation Days" in May offer Christians an opportunity to reflect on the significance of water, seeds and soil, and the people whose livelihoods depend on these elements. Rogation is a Christian observance the three days before Ascension Day, this year on June 1. Some Christians recognize Rogation...
Lutherans Support People Affected by Fires in New Mexico
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans are providing "prayer and emotional support" for people in Los Alamos, Espanola and White Rock, N.M., who are coping with wild fires currently blazing in these areas. "Nearly 22,000 residents of Los Alamos, Espanola and White Rock have been evacuated," said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst,...
Lutherans Join Several Groups to Endorse 'Family Farmers' Agenda'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- At least 36 organizations representing farm, union and religious groups endorsed a "Family Farmers' Five-Point Agenda" for replacing the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, commonly known as the 1996 Farm Bill. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), through its Lutheran Office for Governmental...
ELCA Publishing House Proceeds with New Magazine for Women
COLUMBUS, Ohio (ELCA) -- Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is authorized to spend as much as $500,000 in 2000 to launch its new Christian women's magazine, "Sunday/Monday WOMAN." The executive committee of the publisher's board of trustees authorized the expenditure --...
