News

GLADWYNE, Pa. (ELCA) -- The Deaconess Community of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has voted to sell the Deaconess Community Center here in suburban Philadelphia and move to Chicago. "It is one of the more historic decisions that this community has made considering that in two years the roots...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Economic development among Africans and Blacks globally and advocacy for expanded immigration of Africans to the United States will be topics discussed when more than 300 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America meet June 4-7 in Tuskegee, Ala., under the theme "Africans and Blacks in...

LEVITTOWN, Puerto Rico (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have a new Spanish-language worship book designed to fulfill the needs of congregations in North, South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The ELCA introduced "Libro de Liturgia y Cantico" (Book of Liturgy and Song) here...

MUNDELEIN, Ill. (ELCA) -- Good financial news and initial work on a new mission strategy occupied about 60 staff and 20 board members of the Division for Outreach of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America here May 5-8. The division's staff, including about 40 mission developers who oversee the establishment...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are learning to rely on one another for care and depend less on the pastor as the one-and-only care-giver, according to the Rev. Marta Poling-Goldenne, an ELCA director for evangelism. The idea of laity-led ministry will be shared in...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Marcus C. Lohrmann, 47, Olivet Lutheran Church, Sylvania, Ohio, was elected bishop of the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He received 307 votes to 200 for the Rev. Paul F. Hegele, 49, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Toledo, Ohio, on the...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Albert E. Anderson, 76, who retired in 1992 as president of Augsburg Fortress, publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Minneapolis, died at his home in Edina, Minn., May 16. From 1982 to 1986 Anderson served on the Commission for a New Lutheran Church,...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Marcus C. Lohrmann, 47, Olivet Lutheran Church, Sylvania, Ohio, was elected bishop of the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He received 307 votes to 200 for the Rev. Paul F. Hegele, 49, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Toledo, Ohio, on the...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- El Nino's strong winds and heavy rains caused a major mud slide at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. One of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, PLTS will need to raise $250,000 to repair the damage sustained on campus. The winter mud...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Four colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will develop a plan to create "intellectually and socially" diverse campuses. The consortium -- Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.; Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.; St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.; and Luther College, Decorah, Iowa -- received a $184,000...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (ELCA) -- "The National Workshop on Christian Unity could not be happening at a more auspicious time for Lutherans," said the Rev. Darlis Swan, associate director of the Department for Ecumenical Affairs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She addressed a seminar on "next steps toward...

ELCA'S ANTI-EMBARGO STANCE APPLAUDED IN CUBA by David L. Miller* When officials from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) delivered an anti-embargo resolution to the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Havana, Cuba, last month, they aligned themselves with the deep aspirations of the Cuban...

ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Rev. A.L. Barry, president of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod plan to meet in Chicago on Aug. 17 to discuss how to foster more communication between their two churches, especially on...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America made an impact on many different aspects of the National Workshop on Christian Unity. About 80 Lutherans were among the 500 people who came together here April 27-30. Dr. Diane L. Jacobson, professor of Old Testament, Luther...

WASHINGTON, D.C., (ELCA) -- With another Middle East peace summit still in question, 20 Christian leaders sent an open letter to President Bill Clinton calling upon him to redouble efforts "to achieve a negotiated peace in the Middle East." Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and other church leaders asked Clinton to...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (ELCA) -- The Rev. David W. Tiede, president of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., affirmed Lutheran commitment to ecumenism and explained the cultural and theological factors that make proposals for full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church "complicated." Tiede addressed a...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Good morning! In fact, extraordinary morning!" the Rev. H. Frederick Reisz, Jr., president of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, greeted reporters April 21 in Columbia, S.C. He announced that an anonymous gift of $7,622,737.45 -- the largest single contribution ever to a Lutheran seminary in North America --...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Six of the eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are planning commencement ceremonies in May for 1998 degree recipients: 15 Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa. Speaker: The Rev. Darold H. Beekmann, LTSG President Place: Church of the Abiding Presence (LTSG Chapel) 15 Lutheran...

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran young people from across the country used the Internet April 29 to connect with each other for a live interactive chat. High school, college and seminary students of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America talked about how the church can minister with gay, lesbian and bisexual...

LOUISVILLE, KY (ELCA) -- Communication efforts of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America were recognized by the Religious Public Relations Council and the Associated Church Press. Ten DeRose-Hinkhouse awards were given to ELCA communicators at the annual convention of the Religious Public Relations Council (RPRC), held here April 23-25. The...