News

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The winners of the 2009 "God's work. Our Hands." Video contest winners were announced Aug. 22 at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- For the next five years Lutherans will study justice for women in church and society. By a vote of 754-176, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) moved to develop a social statement on the topic, slated to be considered by the...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) urged all in the church to continue discussing their differences, and meet “not in our agreements or our disagreements, but at the foot of the cross — where God is faithful, where Christ is present with...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Attendees of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church America (ELCA) heard messages about the service and mission of organizations that work in collaboration with the ELCA and other Lutheran denominations. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug....

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA)-- Voting members of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved a 2010 current fund income proposal of $76.69 million for the churchwide organization, and an ELCA World Hunger Appeal income proposal of $18.7 million. They also approved a current income proposal...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 2009 Churchwide Assembly approved all recommended amendments to ELCA Constitutions, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions that the ELCA Church Council recommended for endorsement. All were approved with more than the two-thirds of votes required for passage. The churchwide assembly, the chief...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly gave strong affirmation Aug. 20 to the ministry of a disaster response agency it supports jointly with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). By a vote of 529 to 20, voting members affirmed the ministry of Lutheran...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are in the middle of taking steps to make it possible for the Lutherans in same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders in the denomination. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly narrowed the field to three candidates in its balloting for vice president. Voting a third ballot Aug. 21, voting members chose from a remaining field of eight candidates, selecting incumbent Carlos Peña, Galveston, Texas, Ryan...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – Peter Mayer, lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, sees his involvement at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly as evidence that he’s “not your usual rock and roll entertainer.” Mayer was at the assembly Aug. 21 to perform a concert, with proceeds...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) – Leaders of organizations favoring and opposing further involvement of people who are gay and lesbian in the church praised and denounced actions taken at the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Both expressed a desire to have the church remain united and for...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted today to open the ministry of the church to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in committed relationships. The action came by a vote of 559-451 at the highest legislative body...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- With debates closed and decisions made, the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States has voted to allow Lutherans in same-gender relationships to serve as pastors of congregations and serve in other professional leadership roles. This will result in a change in current ministry policies of the...

MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Ecumenical partners of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gave messages of thankfulness and prayer to attendees of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly during "Please know of our gratitude of you and prayers for you as you meet this week," said the Rev. John Thomas, general minister...