Lutheran Pastor Sees People Returning to Church Following Assembly Actions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Bradley E. Schmeling has been receiving letters and stories of Lutherans returning to church after many years away, given actions taken at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in August. "Even my own partner's sister's family intends to return...
ELCA Presiding Bishop: 'What Good News We Have to Share'
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) should continue to discuss questions about human sexuality, and also talk about how their congregations can grow and how each person can carry out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their daily lives. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson,...
Lutheran Pastor, Editor Says 'Take A Breath' After Assembly
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A member of Peace Lutheran Church, Grass Valley, Calif., told his pastor a Finnish saying that roughly translates: "Walk slowly, and drink ice water." The adage is recalled at times when it is more important to stop and think than it is to react. Decisions the Evangelical...
Lutherans Keep Watch on Fires in California
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans in southern California continue to monitor the Station Fire in Los Angeles County, which began Aug. 26. According to Tempie D. Beaman, the fire may not be contained until Sept. 15. Beaman is Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) coordinator, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, Los Angeles....
Lutherans Support Relief Efforts in Typhoon-Ravaged Taiwan
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Typhoon Morakot, which struck Taiwan Aug. 7-9, was the worst typhoon to strike the island in 50 years. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) sent a total of $25,000 Sept. 1 to support the recovery plans of Lutheran companions there. To date more than 540 people...
ELCA Member, Pastors: Church's Mission Is Bigger Than One Issue
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lyn Jerde said she thought about Mr. Kirk's 7th grade class as she read about discussions on sexuality and ministry polices during last month's churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Minneapolis. Jerde, a writer and member of Lakeview Lutheran Church, an 800-...
2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly Addresses Variety of Topics
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 11th Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) acted on a variety of topics including adoption of a full communion relationship with the United Methodist Church, funding for a churchwide HIV and AIDS strategy, development of a Lutheran Malaria Initiative, a social...
Lutheran College Fairs set for August, September
by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service The Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA) has scheduled several College Fairs for Fall 2009 with the promise of more locations coming soon. August 30 -- St. Luke Lutheran Church, Middleton (Madison), Wis. 30 -- Lake Country Lutheran High School, Hartland, Wis. 31...
ELCA Synod Bishops, Voting Members Respond to Assembly Actions
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Most of the 65 synodical bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) want leaders, congregations and pastors to stay in conversation following the adoption of a social statement on human sexuality and the opening of the ELCA's ministry to people in committed same-gender relationships. Many...
ELCA Churchwide Organization Begins Revising Its Ministry Policies
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) directed that ministry policies be revised to eliminate prohibitions against partnered gay and lesbian members serving as lay and ordained leaders of the church. When the policy documents have been revised, congregations will have the...
ELCA Shares Significant Actions with Ecumenical, Global Partners
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is sharing some significant actions taken at the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly with its ecumenical and global partners. Two significant actions include the adoption of the ELCA's 10th social statement, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust," and the modification of ministry...
ELCA Assembly Elects Council, Committee, Board Members
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) elected lay leaders and clergy to serve on the ELCA Church Council, churchwide committees and boards. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 17-23 at the...
Lutheran World Leader Says Body of Christ 'Not Ours to Dismember'
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Rev. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Geneva, recalled on Aug. 22 that The Third LWF Assembly met in Minneapolis 52 years earlier to the day under the theme "Christ Frees and Unites." Noko applied that theme to the 2009 Church Assembly...
ELCA Assembly Leader Asks Members to Respect Each Other, Allow Time
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- In final comments to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, pledged to the voting members "to speak well of you and of this church, and I ask you to do the same." The...
ELCA Assembly Approves Resolution on Israel and Palestine
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly resolved during their session on Aug. 22 to advocate on behalf of a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. They called the church to lift up the voices within both communities, especially...
ELCA Assembly Discusses Evangelical Mission
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 2009 Churchwide Assembly engaged one another in serious discussion about the church’s mission and direction during its session on Aug. 22. The conversation, an effort to prepare voting members for effective ministry following the assembly, was led...
ELCA Assembly Reviews Hunger, Disaster Response
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – Nancy Arnison, director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) World Hunger Program, highlighted the church body’s hunger and disaster response ministries Aug. 22 at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. She also introduced the assembly to the Rev. Daniel Rift, the new director of the ELCA World...
ELCA Assembly Hears LCMS President on Same-Gender Decisions
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – The president of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick, told the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly Aug. 22 that its decisions earlier this week to allow and support rostering those in lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships would “undoubtably cause additional stress...
ELCA Assembly Urges Church Involvement in Health Care Reform
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – A social statement on health care adopted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) six years ago should commit the church to working on plans to provide more adequate health care today, said a resolution passed by the 2009 ELCA Churchwide assembly Aug. 20. That resolution,...
ELCA Assembly Re-Elects Carlos Peña Vice President
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly returned to office its incumbent vice present, Carlos Peña of Galveston, Texas. He was elected to a second six-year term on the fourth ballot with 580 votes, 60.8 percent of the votes cast. Sixty percent...
