ELCA Missionary Witnesses Miracles in Liberia
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dr. Edna E. Johnson wanted one more great adventure in life. After a 28-year career instructing nursing students at the University of Connecticut, 73-year-old Johnson became a volunteer missionary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and moved to Liberia. There she witnessed miracles. "I knew...
Two ELCA Congregations Give $830,000 to Support Global Ministries
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Two congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have given a combined total of more than $830,000 to support global ministries for one reason -- to join hands with Lutherans around the world to "teach, preach, heal, build, grow, give and receive." More: http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4617 For...
ELCA Presiding Bishop's Next Town Hall Forum September 19
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will answer questions on a variety of topics from members of the denomination on Sunday, Sept. 19. Hanson will take questions during an hour-long "Town Hall Forum" beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern...
Iowa Congregation to Remain in the ELCA
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Zion United Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, Iowa, will remain in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) after an Aug. 22 congregational vote to leave the denomination fell short of the required two-thirds. More: http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4613 For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news Twitter:...
Devastation in Haiti Far Worse than Imagined, Says ELCA Leader
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Pictures of the devastation are distressing, but seeing earthquake-ravaged Haiti in person is far worse than what the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla imagined. "It is overwhelming," said Malpica Padilla, executive director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Global Mission. More: http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4615 For information contact: John...
ELCA Presiding Bishop Addresses Discernment, Repentance, Reconciliation
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), addressed a number of topics in an Aug. 24 pastoral letter to the church, including differing views on human sexuality, reconciliation, not bearing false witness against one another and ongoing dialogue about...
40 Years Later, ELCA Pastor Elizabeth Platz Still Serves Maryland Students
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (ELCA) -- For nearly 45 years, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Platz has served here at the University of Maryland (UM), quietly influencing generations of Lutheran students to remain active in the church and in service to others. Those whose lives she has touched speak highly of Platz's...
Lutherans Begin Ecumenical Pilgrimage to Retrace Luther's Steps
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Two Lutherans will leave the Augustinian priory in Erfurt, Germany, Aug. 22, and walk one thousand miles to Rome, retracing the footsteps of Martin Luther. But for the Rev. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson and her husband, Dr. Andrew Lars Wilson, it's much more than a long hike --...
Well-known ELCA Missionary to Tanzania, J. David Simonson, Dies
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. J. David Simonson, a retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and well-known Lutheran missionary who served in East Africa, died Aug. 16 at his home in Arusha, Tanzania. Simonson, 80, spent more than 40 years working with the Maasai tribe in...
Lutherans Learn that Eight Tons of Stone Builds a Hospital
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Imagine having your next board of directors meeting in a field, under a tree. The meeting includes delivering research reports, sharing blueprints and decision-making. This was the case for a group of people in Mumeya, Rwanda, for four years. Their efforts yielded a new health clinic that...
Lutherans to Mark Five-year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 4.5 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will mark the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina during Sunday worship Aug. 29, the day Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Worship and liturgical resources for the anniversary are available on the ELCA website. More:...
ELCA Provides $235,000 for Disaster Recovery Efforts Overseas
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In August 2010 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) allocated $235,000 to international church organizations and relief agencies working to reach families and individuals in need of services and supplies following natural disasters. Funds were allocated to meet the specific needs of people in Pakistan, China,...
Eric Shafer, ELCA Pastor, to Preach on 'Day 1' Aug. 29
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Eric C. Shafer, senior vice president for religious media at Odyssey Networks, will preach Aug. 29 on "Day 1," a nationally broadcast radio program. Shafer is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). More http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4606 For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773)...
ELCA Presiding Bishop to Visit China Aug. 28-Sept. 5
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Although there are no Lutheran churches in China, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has developed deep, mission-focused relationships with Christian councils and Protestant expressions in the country. At the invitation of Chinese church leaders the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, will visit China...
ELCA Board of Pensions Trustees Approve 2011 Plan Contribution Rates
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Trustees of the Board of Pensions (BOP) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved 2011 plan contribution rates and plan amendments, heard an update on members affected by a reduction in annuity plan payments and discussed possible effects of this year's landmark federal health care...
ELCA Membership 4.5 Million, Offerings More Than $2.6 Billion in 2009
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reported a baptized membership of 4,543,037 in 10,348 congregations in 2009. The information is based on an analysis of membership and income data by the ELCA Office of the Secretary and ELCA Research and Evaluation from parochial reports submitted by...
Haiti Still in Crisis, ELCA Members Continue Response
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Haiti is still in crisis. According to a July 30 situation report from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) the Caribbean nation has yet to move into the recovery phase, following the Jan. 12 earthquake that left 1.5 million people displaced from their homes. More: http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4604...
ELCA Churchwide Organization Details 2010 Budget Reductions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Aug. 4 actions by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to reduce the 2010 current fund spending authorization for the churchwide organization affected a variety of ministries, especially those administered by the five program units of the church. More http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4601 For...
ELCA Commits $100,000 for Pakistan Flood Response
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response (IDR) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has committed $100,000 in response to widespread flooding in Pakistan. More http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4600 For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news Twitter: http://twitter.com/elcanews
ELCA Council Reduces 2010 Churchwide Spending, Acts on Pensions Resolutions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) revised the 2010 current fund spending authorization for the ELCA churchwide organization to $65.1 million, a mid-year reduction of $4.2 million or 6.1 percent from the previously authorized $69.3 million for 2010. More http://www.elca.org/News/Releases.asp?a=4599 For information...
