ELCA Assembly Actions to be “Respectful,” Says Presiding Bishop
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - A respectful discussion on sexuality will show the world that while Lutherans may not be “of one mind,” they can still be “united in faith and in our shared mission together,” said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)...
ELCA Assembly Opens with Worship
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- With jubilant and reflective song, heads bowed in prayer and expressions of peace and joy, more than 2,300 Lutherans opened the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with worship Aug. 17. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is...
Lutherans Explore Programs to Help Older Adults Stay at Home Longer
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Karen Koch's husband, Fred, has Alzheimer's disease and follows a strict daily routine. While medication helps to slow the progression of the disease for Fred, falling out of routine can mean trouble. "Fred can make his own breakfast and lunch, and I don't interfere. It's important for...
Finalists Named in ELCA Video Contest
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) serve God in many different ways. Members of Faith Lutheran Church, Everett, Wash., made more than 1,000 quilts to donate. Congregations in California have raised almost $350,000 and served 30,000 meals to people who are homeless. And one...
Lutheran youth raise $154,488 at ELCA Youth Gathering to help end hunger
by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service Youth across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are saying "no" to hunger and poverty through "Change the World: 2009 Lutheran Youth Challenge" to raise $1 million for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. In an effort to support the challenge, high-school-age Lutherans...
ELCA Synod Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers Accepts Call in Washington State
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Paul W. Stumme-Diers announced that he will resign as bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), effective Sept. 30, and has accepted a call as pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church, Bainbridge Island, Wash. Stumme-Diers, 48, was first elected...
Lutherans commend, remain hopeful on recent immigration detention reform
by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service Global Refuge commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for taking steps to improve the immigration detention system and remains "hopeful" that such comprehensive reform continues. LIRS is one of the nation's leading agencies in welcoming and advocating for...
ELCA Clergy Support Gay, Lesbian Rights, Ordination, Survey Says
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Results of a national survey show that a majority of clergy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) -- 54 percent -- support ordination "with no special requirements" for people who are gay or lesbian, according to an Aug. 5 news release. The Clergy Voices Survey...
Lutheran Services in America's Jill Schumann named in The NonProfit Times
by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service Jill A. Schumann, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America (LSA), Baltimore, has been named in The NonProfit Times' 2009 "Power and Influence Top 50." Schumann is one of few leaders included in the list for seven consecutive years, according to a...
ELCA Presiding Bishop, Other Leaders Criticize Palestinian Evictions
WASHINGTON (ELCA) - In an Aug. 7 letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and 17 other U.S. religious leaders expressed "grave concern about the eviction of 50 Palestinians from their homes." They also urged the...
Lutherans Take Action on Social Justice Issues
WASHINGTON (ELCA) - Lutheran youth and adults took action on a number of social justice issues at the 2009 Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), July 22-26 in New Orleans. By writing to members of the U.S. Congress and President Obama, they advocated against injustices concerning...
ELCA Seminary Professor, Pastor to Preach on Ecumenical Radio Show
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David J. Lose, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and professor at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., will preach Aug. 23 and Sept. 13 on "Day 1," a nationally broadcast radio program. Lose serves as the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in...
H1N1 Influenza Confirmed Among Some ELCA Youth Gathering Participants
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Health officials in North Dakota and South Dakota have confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza among teenagers and adults who attended the 2009 Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). About 37,000 teenagers, adult leaders and volunteers attended the gathering held in New Orleans, July...
ELCA Presiding Bishop Urges Lutherans to Sign Letter to Obama about Sudan
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is encouraging the 4.6 million-member church to advocate for peace in Sudan. He is asking that the denomination's professional leaders sign a letter addressed to U.S. President Barack Obama that calls for...
Twitter, Facebook Expand Opportunities to Follow ELCA Churchwide Assembly
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Twitter phenomenon has spilled over into the multimedia coverage of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Minneapolis. This is the first year blogging and social media sites will be used during a churchwide assembly, said Ben McDonald Coltvet, managing...
ELCA Reports 4.6 Million Members, Offerings $2.7 Billion in 2008
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reported a baptized membership of 4,633,887 in 10,396 congregations in 2008. The ELCA Office of the Secretary analyzed membership and income data obtained from reports that ELCA congregations submit each year. David D. Swartling, ELCA secretary, said the data indicated...
ELCA Pastor to Preach on Ecumenical Radio Program
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David von Schlichten, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will deliver a sermon Aug. 16 on the nationally broadcast radio program "Day 1." Von Schlichten, pastor of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church, Youngstown, Pa., will talk about the comparison of wisdom...
ELCA Contributions Help Improve Situation in Zimbabwe
CHICAGO (ELCA) - Monetary donations to buy food, seed and medical supplies from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) last year are helping the people of Zimbabwe now, said the Rev. Benyam A. Kassahun. "As a result of that support many were able to survive," he said. Kassahun is...
Scholarships Awarded to Nine ELCA Students Studying Physics
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Nine students attending colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will receive scholarships in the amount of $10,000 or $5,000 for the 2009-2010 school year. The scholarships are provided by the ELCA Foundation through the Rossing Fund for Physics Education Endowment. Thomas D....
ELCA sends $50,000 to ACT for 'rapid response' to disasters overseas
by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service For more than 20 years members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have brought and continue to bring comfort, healing and assistance to people affected by disasters. The ELCA works with such partners as Action by Churches Together (ACT) to meet...
