Augsburg Fortress Names Director for Canadian Operation
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the Minneapolis-based publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced Larry Willard will become executive director for Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Canada, effective Jan. 3, 2000. Willard joins Augsburg Fortress following a career as vice president for institutional advancement, operations and marketing...
ELCA Disaster Response Sends $50,000 for Venezuela Relief
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will make $50,000 available for flood relief efforts in Venezuela, the ELCA Division for Global Mission announced Dec. 22. The ELCA will send $25,000 to Lutheran World Relief (LWR), an overseas Lutheran development and relief ministry of the ELCA and=20...
Wangerin's Latest Book Wins National Award (corrected title)
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Walter M. Wangerin, Jr., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor, university professor, author and speaker has been named winner of the Theologos Award for the Best Children's Book of 1999. Wangerin was recognized for his book, "Water, Come Down," published this year by Augsburg...
New Y2K Resources Available; ELCA Churchwide Offices Closed Jan. 3
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- New resources are available on the World Wide Web site of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to help members respond in faith to Y2K concerns and the start of the new century in 2001. The updates are on the "AD2K" Project Web site at www.elca.org/dcs/ad2k....
Wisconsin ELCA, Catholic Bishops Respond to LCMS President's Ad
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a Dec. 19 advertisement printed in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the six Wisconsin bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) said they were "saddened" to read the statement of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) president concerning the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. The...
February "Virtual Conference" to Explore Faith and Financial Issues
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An Internet "virtual conference" is expected to bring together people from many faith backgrounds during February 2000 to discuss the question, "How do I live faithfully in the midst of plenty?" The pilot virtual conference, "For the Love of Money: Living Faithfully in the Midst of Plenty"...
Special Worship Marks Turn of the Century Dec. 31
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will preach at "Light of the Ages," a vigil to mark the historic transition from the 20th to the 21st century. The service will take place at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, at...
Women of the ELCA Develops New Series Called "Eye Openers"
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Revelation, Rapture and the New Jerusalem" is the first of a new series called "Eye Openers," one-hour programs designed to initiate discussion on topics of interest to women. The program was developed by Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the women's organization of the...
Christmas Message from ELCA Presiding Bishop
"Helping the Herald Angels" When the Christmas angels sing "Glory to God in the highest," they're announcing that the birth of Jesus has cosmic significance. God's gracious entrance into human life not only means hope for us; it also demonstrates God's power -- a miracle no less glorious than the...
ELCA College Student Receives Rhodes Scholarship
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Katherine Larson, a senior at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., is one of 32 national winners of Rhodes Scholarships -- the nation's oldest and most prestigious post-graduate award. Larsoni is the sixth student to have earned the scholarship at St. Olaf, one of 28 colleges and universities...
ELCA Bishop, WordAlone Network Leader Meet, Discuss CCM Issues
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the leader of what is now called, "WordAlone Network" met for 90 minutes here Dec. 8 to discuss their mutual interests in the ELCA's full communion proposal with thei Episcopal Church. The Rev. H. George...
ELCA Connects with Youth and Young Adults on www.SOULFUEL.ORG
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Youth and young adults of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are launching www.soulfuel.org -- a Web site dedicated to provide faith resources for 18- to 32- year-olds. "Soulfuel is a place where youth and young adults can explore their faith questions, pain, gifts, pursuits and...
ELCA Leaders Work to Halt U.S. Military Operations on Vieques
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- President Clinton announced Dec. 3 he plans to halt U.S. military training within five years at Vieques, unless the island's residents choose otherwise. Vieques is an island that is part of Puerto Rico, located east of its main island. It has been the focus of demonstrations against...
ELCA Bishops Say New Century, Millennium Offers Hope, Not Dread
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The coming of the third millennium should not fill us with fear or dread at thoughts of the end," wrote the presiding bishop and 65 synodical bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in a four-page pastoral letter on the significance of the year 2000....
ELCA Bishop Joins Appeal for U.S. to Reconsider Land Mine Treaty
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined with leaders in U.S. churches and related organizations Dec. 4 in calling on President Clinton to reconsider U.S. land mine policy. The leaders also appealed for the United States to join...
Concordia Christmas Concert on Odyssey, Satellite Systems
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Concordia College Christmas concert, "Let Heaven and Nature Sing," will make an encore appearance on a national cable television network and satellite systems this holiday season. The concert will be broadcast on the Odyssey Network, a national interfaith cable network available to more than 30 million...
'Mosaic' Features Binge Drinking, Rural Crisis, Gay/Lesbian Segments
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The winter 1999 edition of MOSAIC, the video magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), includes segments on binge drinking on college campuses, the crisis in rural America and welcoming gay and lesbian people to congregations. The winter edition is available Dec. 1. MOSAIC is...
Twelve Luther Seminary Faculty, Board Address CCM Issues
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Twelve faculty members at Luther Seminary say they are "not persuaded" that concerns raised about a Lutheran proposal for full communion with the Episcopal Church are enough to warrant rejection of the church's decision to adopt the proposal. The faculty members made the statement in an Oct....
Lutherans Work to 'Bridge the Gap' Between Generations
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- Generation "Xers" are "children of the media" and yearn for personal relationships and community, Dr. Gene Edward Veith Jr., dean of arts and sciences at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, Wis., told participants at "Bridging the Gap: Reaching Post-Modern Generations," Nov. 21-23 at the Milwaukee Hilton. The conference...
Ministry Among Latino/Hispanic Youth, Children Discussed
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- Adults involved in youth ministries should be about accompaniment and not control, said Hjamil A. Martinez Vazquez, a seminary student at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico, Bayamon. Vazquez was a keynote speaker here at "Sembrando la Semilla del Evangelio en Nuestra Juventud y Ninez," (Planting the...
