News

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The commitment of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to adopt the historic episcopate is affirmed in the draft of "Called to Common Mission," a revised proposal for full communion between the ELCA and The Episcopal Church. In 1997 the ELCA narrowly defeated the "Concordat of Agreement,"...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Elayne B. Lipp, Messiah Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, was recognized March 24 for being a strong advocate of cross-cultural mission. Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, presented her with its Race, Church and Change Award. Lipp was honored...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "We oppose any weakening of the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban. Such action could place many innocent lives in danger," the Rev. Russell O. Siler, director of the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA) in Washington, D.C., wrote March 17 to members of the U.S. House of...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "A society's health can be measured by how it treats those in its midst who are most impoverished," the Rev. Russell O. Siler, director of the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs in Washington, D.C., wrote March 19 to members of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees....

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America should express concern for human rights violations in Nigeria, according to an action taken by the church's Division for Global Mission board at its meeting here March 20-22. The board pointed to the Nigerian military government's execution of political...

WAUKESHA, WIS. (ELCA) -- Caring relationships, joyful worship, prayer and outreach with a gospel mandate can be a successful recipe for church growth. More than 50 pastors, lay leaders and associates in ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met here March 26-28 for the "Teaching Congregations" seminar...

ELCA APRIL 1998 CALENDAR 1-5 Commission for Multicultural Ministries, Spring Conference Alaska Native Ministries, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Nome, Alaska 3 Region 3, Steering Committee, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. 3 The Lutheran, Advisory Committee, Lutheran Center, Chicago 6-8 Department for Ecumenical Affairs, Lutheran-Episcopal Advisory and Drafting Team, Lutheran Center,...

The Rev. Laird Duran Our Saviour Lutheran Church 2926 Wood Street Jonesboro, AR 72404 Dear Pastor Duran: On behalf of the other 5.2 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as personally, I want to express our deepest concern and compassion to you, the people of...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 1998 Easter message of the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): "To say that Jesus has risen from the dead means that he is not where we left him. "Jesus has not been left back in Bible times....

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Tornadoes that killed a child an injured 38 people in southern Minnesota March 29 severly damaged a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. "We have broken glass pretty much everywhere," said Axel D. Steuer, president of Gustavus Adolphus College...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America contributed $1.5 million to the Vision for Mission Fund in 1997. The fund provides an opportunity for individual members of the ELCA to make gifts over and above congregational giving in support of global and domestic mission. "The Vision...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Conversation centered on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) being a safe place for women, particularly for lesbians, when the 12-member steering committee of the ELCA Commission for Women met here March 20-22. "We took some time to look at our focus area of safety and...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The city must be a priority for all churches," said the Rev. Philip R. Johnson, formerly a missionary pastor working with the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. Johnson talked about "rapid urbanization" in cities like Nairobi when he addressed the board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's World Hunger Appeal raised $11.7 million, reaching 99.8 percent of it's goal for 1997. "We fell $405,596 short of our goal," said the Rev. Roger O. Livdahl, director of the appeal. "It is disappointing news that we've received less than last...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a step closer to implementing a key element of its new relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ. The board of the ELCA Division for Ministry met here March 12-14 and...

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CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Thousands of women from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will have the opportunity in 1999 to "develop a deep and biblical understanding of God's justice" at the Women of the ELCA Fourth Triennial Convention. The organization's executive board met here March 12-15 and identified goals...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Nearly four million people in Tanzania face an acute food shortage, reports Action by Churches Together (ACT). Drought in 1996 and 1997 followed by floods in 1997 and 1998 have affected crops, and the number of people needing food assistance is likely to increase, according to ACT....

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Many pastors and lay employees of the church work for rewards beyond financial consideration. Some find they cannot afford retirement. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is trying to change that by strengthening the monthly incomes of retirees or their surviving spouses. The 1993 ELCA Churchwide...

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. (ELCA) -- Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America meeting here March 5-10 adopted a statement encouraging members of the church to "participate in the ongoing development of the revised proposal for full communion" with The Episcopal Church. The Conference of Bishops' action expressed gratitude that...