Lutherans Condemn Murder of Matthew Shepard
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Our church repudiates all words and acts of hatred toward gay and lesbian persons," said the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "I personally deplore this act of violence." Anderson responded to reports that Matthew Shepard died Oct. 12...
Lutherans Host College Fairs
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In November colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod (LCMS) will hold "Lutheran College Nights" programs in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. Prospective students, their families and other interested individuals are invited. Lutheran college admission...
The Promise of a New Millennium
Reflections by the Presiding Bishop and Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, As the year 2000 approaches, there is a growing sense of anticipation around the globe. Despite protests that the new millennium technically begins on December 31, 2000, it...
Lutheran Bishops Issue Letter on the Turn of the Millennium
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....
Thiel College Reduces Tuition By 27 Percent
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In response to public concern about rising education costs, Thiel College, Greenville, Pa., will reduce its tuition by 27 percent for new students entering the college in the fall of 1999. Thiel is one of 28 college and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. "We...
Lutherans Report Hurricane Georges Caused $2 Billion in Damages
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "It is estimated that Hurricane Georges has caused $2 billion in damages, making it the fifth most expensive natural disaster in the United States," said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director for Lutheran Disaster Response. Hurricane Georges tore across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands before making...
ELCA Presiding Bishop Says Ecumenism Is Lutheran
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The ecumenical question is often posed as a vote for or against 'Lutheran identity.' We cite our confessional tradition as the reason for our continued separation from other Christian bodies," said the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "I...
Board Asks ELCA Members to Pray for Farmers
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The board of the Division for Church in Society of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) discussed the continuing rural crisis when it met here Sept. 24-26. The Rev. Timothy J. Swenson, Halliday, N.D., explained to the board that in his state 75 percent of farmers...
Board Recommends ELCA Adopt Report on People with Disabilities
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- Board members of the Division for Church in Society of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asked the ELCA Church Council to approve "The Final Report of the Comprehensive Study of Ministry with and among Persons who are Deaf and Persons with Disabilities of the ELCA."...
ELCA Immigration Message Goes to Church Council
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will consider a "Message on Immigration" with a recommendation to adopt. If adopted in November, the message will serve as a resource for ELCA congregations to discuss attitudes regarding immigration and will guide the church's advocacy...
Retired Lutheran Bishop Joins Pension Board Staff
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. Ralph A. Kempski, 64, joined the staff of the Board of Pensions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on Sept. 1. Kempski retired Aug. 31 as bishop of the ELCA's Indiana-Kentucky Synod. Kempski is the Board of Pensions' regional representative in Arkansas, Indiana,...
U.S. Lutheran and Reformed Churches Make History
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- History was made when four major U.S. Protestant churches celebrated their new relationship of "full communion" with a gala worship service Oct. 4 here at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. More than 1,500 members from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America...
Lutheran Congregations Aspire for Excellence in Ministry
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Eager to energize and enrich parish ministry, more than 1,600 pastors, lay and synod leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will meet Nov. 20-22 in Orlando, Fla., for "Alive in Christ: Equipping Congregations for the 21st century." Organized by the ELCA's Division for Congregational...
Lutherans in Puerto Rico Celebrate 100th Anniversary
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans in Puerto Rico will communicate a message of hope to the world as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lutheran presence there. The anniversary will be celebrated at a Global Mission Event to be held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in San Juan. "Communicate Hope" will be...
ELCA Committee Okays Seven Draft Shareholder Resolutions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An advisory committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is recommending that seven resolutions start a long journey toward 1999 shareholder meetings in corporate America. The ELCA Division for Church in Society, through its Advisory Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility, counsels various institutions of the...
ELCA Presiding Bishop Calls for Prayer
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), issued the following statment on Thursday, Sept. 24: "In the midst of the current crisis in the presidency, I join with other leaders of faith communities in calling for a time of...
ELCA Aids Flood Relief in Bangladesh
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Rains have flooded nearly 60 percent of Bangladesh, killing more than 520 people, rendering thousands homeless and damaging millions of acres of standing crops. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has responded to the disaster with $55,000 in assistance. ELCA International Disaster Response sent an initial...
Arnold Mickelson Dies
MINNEAPOLIS(ELCA) -- Dr. Arnold R. Mickelson, the former general secretary of The American Lutheran Church (ALC), died Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Minneapolis. He was 76. Mickelson was coordinator of the Commission for a New Lutheran Church, the 70-member group selected by the three merging church bodies to plan for the...
Worship Celebrates New Lutheran-reformed Relationship
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Four U.S. churches will celebrate their new relationship of "full communion" with a gala worship service Oct. 4 at Rockefeller Chapel in Chicago. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ agreed to enter into full communion...
Lutheran Bishop Attends White House Prayer Breakfast
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The country faces two issues -- one political, the other spiritual," said the Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., bishop of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), after attending an annual White House prayer breakfast Sept. 11. He was one of about...
