News

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...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The first draft of "Toward Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All," a proposed social statement on economic life and the Christian faith, will be available in May for members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to analyze. The board of the ELCA Division for Church in...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Freshman enrollment at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's 28 colleges and universities has increased by 17 percent over the past year, according to a report received by the ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools board meeting here March 13-15. College officials cited a larger pool...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dallas police arrested four youth on arson charges March 5 shortly after fire destroyed the office and fellowship hall of Bethany Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The young men range in age from 16 to 20 years. The vandalism spread through...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is responding to flood-stricken areas along the Flint River in Georgia. Heavy rains have caused the river and its tributaries to crest, forcing 11,000 people to evacuate their homes March 9-10. "It is estimated that about 250 homes in Lee County...

GENEVA (ELCA) -- Three field staff of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) were killed in Rwanda in an armed assault the night of March 11. They died near the border with Tanzania on the compound of a resettlement project for returning Tutsi refugees, LWF reports. A number of other staff...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Eighty-eight presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have voted as of March 11 to ratify an agreement declaring "full communion" between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and three churches of the Reformed tradition. An affirmative vote by a majority of the 172 presbyteries was the...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will make his first official visit to three world ecumenical centers -- Istanbul, Rome and London -- March 14-24. A delegation of ELCA synod bishops, church staff and church council members will...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The youth of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will "pursue a dynamic, interactive, open and welcoming ministry" with gay, lesbian and bisexual young people, but will "exclude the possibility of a gathering" for homosexual and bisexual youth to precede the triennial ELCA Youth Gathering in...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- About 80 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) interested in first-hand information on current legislative issues are expected to be among 400 people in Washington, D.C., March 29-April 1 for the Interfaith Public Policy Briefing. The Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA) will host...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America want worship resources that are easy to use and accessible to new members and visitors, according to a recent survey. The Board for the Division for Congregational Ministries heard the survey results at its meeting here Feb. 28 -...