ELCA Assembly Hears Greetings from Missouri Synod
DENVER (ELCA) -- The president of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Aug. 20 cited "law and gospel," which Lutherans historically have held to be the two chief doctrines of Scripture, as a blessing shared by the nation's two largest Lutheran church bodies that otherwise have "very serious doctrinal and theological differences."...
ELCA Assembly Welcomes World, National Council of Churches
DENVER (ELCA) -- Representatives from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC) greeted participants of the 1999 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly. The ELCA is a member of both organizations. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative...
ELCA Assembly Declines to Change Policy
DENVER (ELCA) -- After more than one hour of debate, the 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a resolution "to decline to propose at this assembly any change in the standards for rostered ministry related to non-celibate gay or lesbian persons." The assembly turned...
ELCA Assembly Maintains Abortion Statement
DENVER (ELCA) -- The 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) declined Aug. 21 to tamper with the ELCA's social statement on abortion, which was adopted by the church's 1991 assembly. This year's assembly turned back an effort to amend the 1991 statement by removing language...
ELCA Assembly Participants Break for Community Service
DENVER (ELCA)-- Although the afternoon was free from meetings and plenary sessions, more than 50 participants in the 1999 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly spent their time building Habitat for Humanity homes in metro Denver. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting...
ELCA Assembly Adopts Economic Life Statement
DENVER (ELCA)-- By a vote of 872 to 124, the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a social statement on economic life called "Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All: A Social Statement on Economic Life," Aug. 20. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the...
ELCA Assembly Focus on Hunger, Contest Winners Announced
DENVER (ELCA) -- More than 600 clay bowls were submitted by ELCA college and university students in the first-ever Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Hunger Bowl Contest. Dr. Addie J. Butler, vice president of the ELCA, announced five grand prize winners of the contest Aug. 18 at the ELCA...
ELCA Assembly Receives Disabled and Deaf Ministries Report
DENVER (ELCA) -- Policy, presence, and inclusion of people who are deaf and people with disabilities were highlights of an implementation plan described to voting members at the Evangelical Lutherran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly by the Rev. Lisa Thogmartin-Cleaver, newly appointed ELCA Director of Disabilities Ministry and Director...
ELCA Assembly Addresses Debt of Poor Nations, and ...
DENVER (ELCA) The 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Aug. 18 adopted resolutions in support of efforts to reduce the international debt of the world's poorest nations, to respond to religious persecution around the world and to celebrate the International Year of Older Persons. The...
ELCA Assembly Meets New Women of the ELCA President
DENVER (ELCA) The newly elected president of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Linda M. Chinnia, Baltimore, brought greetings to the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly on behalf of the women's organization of the church. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here...
Gay and Lesbian Persons Worship During ELCA Assembly
DENVER (ELCA) The pews of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver, were filled with more than 100 people attending a worship Aug. 19, sponsored by Lutherans Concerned/North America, a group supporting gay and lesbian individuals. The service was held during but was not officially part of the 1999 Evangelical Lutheran Church...
Miller Elected Editor of 'The Lutheran'
DENVER (ELCA) -- By an overwhelming vote, the 1999 churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elected the Rev. David L. Miller, editor of The Lutheran, magazine of the ELCA, Aug. 20. Miller was elected by more than 96 percent of the assembly, 900 to 34. Miller, 46,...
ELCA Assembly Hears Report on Project to Open 2000 Congregations
DENVER (ELCA) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has the capacity to achieve a goal of starting 2,000 new congregations over the next 20 years, said the Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive director, ELCA Division for Outreach, in remarks to the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly here Aug. 18. The...
ELCA Assembly Takes Offering for Turkey Earthquake Disaster
DENVER (ELCA) -- Prayers and cash are being sent from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to assist the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. Voting members and visitors focused prayer at the Aug. 18 plenary session of the churchwide assembly here, and ELCA International Disaster Response pledged an...
ELCA Assembly Addresses Youth Violence, Economic Justice Issues
DENVER (ELCA) -- Violence among youth and economic justice for small coffee farmers around the world were issues addressed Aug. 18 by the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in resolutions adopted by nearly unanimous votes. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA,...
ELCA Assembly Approves Full Communion with Episcopal Church
DENVER (ELCA) -- After 30 years of ecumenical dialogue, and having narrowly rejected the measure in 1997, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved a proposal for full communion with The Episcopal Church. The proposal, "Called to Common Mission," was endorsed at the ELCA's assembly here by a vote...
ELCA Assembly Invited to "Call to Discipleship"
DENVER (ELCA) -- Voting members and guests of the 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received an invitation to embark on a period of "discipleship and faith development," which will culminate in a celebration at the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The invitation came from members...
ELCA Assembly Enters Full Communion with Moravian Church
DENVER (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved a proposal to enter into full communion with the Moravian Church in America with an Aug. 19 vote of 1,007 to 11 -- or 98.9 percent approval. The Moravian Northern and Southern Provinces accepted the proposal in 1998. The...
ELCA Assembly Discussion Praises Moravian Mission Emphasis
DENVER (ELCA) -- The 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) used about 20 minutes of the hour scheduled Aug. 18 to discuss a proposal for full communion with the Moravian Church in America. None of the 1,039 voting members rose to speak against the plan....
ELCA Assembly Concerned about the Well-Being of Children
DENVER (ELCA) -- Concerned about the well-being of children, the 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a resolution that will urge congregations to work toward a "Christ-centered, positive environment" for children in families, congregations and communities. The resolution received a 99.6 percent approval. The...
