Women of the ELCA Contribute Gift for ELCA Ministries
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gave a $514,607 gift to the ELCA for its ministries around the world in 1999. Among other actions, the amount of the gift was announced at the Women of the ELCA executive board meeting here March 16-19. "Women...
Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg Names Cooper-White President
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., has named the Rev. Michael L. Cooper-White to become its 12th president while the school begins its 175th anniversary this summer. Gettysburg is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The seminary's board of directors...
Wartburg Speaker Says Historic Episcopate for Unity, Not Salvation
DUBUQUE, Iowa (ELCA) -- Full communion with the Episcopal Church is "natural, easy, like breathing," said the Rev. Donald S. Armentrout, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor and professor of church history at the Episcopal School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn. Armentrout addressed...
12 Wartburg Faculty Affirm CCM, Call for Implementation Latitude
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Twelve faculty members of Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, said in a March 31 position paper and open letter to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) they continue to support an ELCA proposal for full communion with The Episcopal Church, known as "Called to Common Mission"...
ELCA Synod Assembly Wants 'Historic Episcopate' Optional
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An assembly in Fargo, N.D., of the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), resolved March 24 to "fully support the right of its constituent members, congregations, pastors and bishops to freely accept or reject local implementation of an historic episcopate." Acceptance...
ELCA Supports Hunger Relief Act, Increase in U.S. Minimum Wage
CHICAGO (ELCA)-- Earning minimum wage in the United States puts millions of workers and their children in limbo -- making too much to receive assistance and making too little to survive, said Kay A. Bengston, assistant director for public policy advocacy, Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA), Washington, D.C. LOGA...
Jubilee 2000/USA Rally, Meetings April 9-10 in Washington, D.C.
CHICAGO (ELCA) - "Proclaim Jubilee: Cancel the Debts, Now!" is the theme of the National Mobilization for Debt Cancellation rally to be held in Washington, D.C., April 9 to bring public attention to an international effort to cancel the debts held by the world's most impoverished countries. The rally, which...
ELCA Commission Backs Congregation, Nominates Chadwick
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The steering committee of the Commission for Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asked the church to support the efforts of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn., seeking an exception to ELCA rules against ordaining gay or lesbian Lutherans in homosexual relationships. The...
ELCA Reconsiders, Will Assign Rooms at St. Louis Adam's Mark Hotel
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In light of the settlement of lawsuits charging the Adam's Mark Hotel chain with racial discrimination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) announced it has reconsidered and will assign participants and staff in this summer's Youth Gathering to the Adam's Mark Hotel in St. Louis. The...
ELCA Board Reviews African American Outreach Strategy
MUNDELEIN, Ill. (ELCA) -- Since 1993, when the Division for Outreach of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) began developing ethnic-specific strategies, a team of African American Lutherans has been crafting an African American Outreach Strategy. The division's board reviewed the strategy when it met here March 3-5. Lutheran...
Lutherans Host Web Forum on Money and Faith
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Six keynote speakers and hundreds of people from around the world got together on the World Wide Web in February to discuss "Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All," a social statement on economic life which the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted in 1999. "For the Love...
ELCA Financial News, Evangelism Efforts Reported to Bishops
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (ELCA) -- Income to the churchwide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) exceeded expenses in 1999 by $2.1 million in current operating funds, said Richard L. McAuliffe, ELCA treasurer. McAuliffe reported results of the fiscal year ending Jan. 31 to the ELCA Conference of...
ELCA Pastoral Letter Formally Transmitted to Episcopal Church
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), formally transmitted to the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church the text of a pastoral letter from the ELCA Conference of Bishops. The bishops' letter, adopted March 6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,...
More than 63 Million Lutherans in the World
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With an additional 1.6 million members registered in the past year, the number of Lutherans worldwide rose from 61.5 million in 1998 to 63.1 million in 1999, according to statistics compiled by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) based in Geneva, Switzerland. Membership in the LWF also increased,...
U.S. Surgeon General Praises ELCA Message on Suicide Prevention
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The bold message of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a shining example of the important and life-saving role for the faith community in suicide prevention," David A. Litts wrote to the Rev. John R. Stumme, associate director for studies, ELCA Division for Church in...
Leonard Schulze Elected Director for ELCA Division
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dr. Leonard G. Schulze, 53, Seguin, Texas, was elected executive director of the Division for Higher Education and Schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). With the approval of the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, the division's board appointed Schulze at...
Rajan Nominated Director for ELCA Multicultural Ministries
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan was nominated to serve another four-year term as executive director of the Commission for Multicultural Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The commission's 24-member steering committee met here March 3-4, unanimously accepted Rajan's nomination and addressed a number of...
ELCA Bishops Adopt Pastoral Letter on Wealth and Poverty
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (ELCA) The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) issued a call to the ELCA's 5.2 million members to become "repairers of the breach" and reach out to people living in poverty. The bishops' call to action was contained in "A Pastoral Letter...
ELCA-LCMS Discussion Panel Holds Second of Three Meetings
CHICAGO (ELCA)-- Representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) discussed theological differences between the two churches, especially based on how they interpret Scriptures, and ways Lutheran congregations without pastors can celebrate the Christian sacraments. The panel of 10 members from each church...
ELCA Youth Prepare to "Dance at the Cross Roads"
ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- The Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will bring together thousands of high-school-age and adult Lutherans in two back-to-back events this year: June 28 -July 2, and July 5-9. The gathering, "Dancing at the Cross Roads," will take place here at the America's...
