News

The Rev. Laurie A. Jungling, Butte, Mont.,was elected June 1 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 31 – June 2 at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls, Mont.

The Rev. Regina M. Hassanally, Goodhue, Minn.,was elected June 1 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 31 – June 1 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn.

The Rev. Kevin L. Strickland, Chicago,was elected June 2 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 30 – June 2 at the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Convention Center.

The Rev. R. Guy Erwin was elected May 31 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 30 – June 1 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

As most of you are well aware, many states have passed or are considering legislation to restrict access to legal abortion. Talking about abortion has never been easy in this country, and the same holds true in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The members of this church have divergent beliefs and opinions about whether or not abortion should be legal.

The Rev. Lorna H. Halaas, Sioux City, Iowa, was elected May 4 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Western Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the Synod Assembly, held May 3-5 at Sioux City Convention Center.

April 29, 2019On Saturday, the last day of Passover, another shooting occurred at a synagogue — this time, Chabad of Poway, in California. The living had gathered to offer prayers to honor the dead and to close the Jewish festival of God's liberating promise. Once again, worship was interrupted by...

CHICAGO (April 16, 2019) – In her Easter message, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), reminds us that Easter makes it possible, even at the grave, to sing alleluia. Listen to Eaton's message. View the message in English. View the message...

The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met at the Lutheran Center in Chicago April 4-7. The council, which serves as the ELCA’s board of directors, took action on a variety of matters designed to help move the church’s mission and ministries forward.

Dear Church, Today we awoke to the devastating news of the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. We join in mourning for the people who were killed and wounded, for their families, for the first responders and grief counselors, and for all whose lives have been shattered...

Gathering under the theme “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds,” the ELCA Conference of Bishops met here Feb. 28 – March 4. The conference is an advisory body of the ELCA that includes 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and the secretary.

Approved by the ELCA Church Council in 1990, Vision and Expectations has, through several revisions, outlined this church's standards for its rostered ministers since that time. As a Conference of Bishops, we recognize and acknowledge that its application has been uneven and inequitable. We express our profound grief and deep...

The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) stands with and holds up in prayer the people of Venezuela during the current multifaceted crisis within their nation. We care about the consequences of this crisis as already felt in neighboring countries and about its wider impact...

Dear Church, This morning at worship in the Churchwide Office we sang;God, when human bonds are broken, and we lack the love or skillTo restore the hope of healing, give us grace and make us still...Give us faith to be more faithful, give us hope to be more true,Give us...

In its commitment to pursuing wholeness for creation, the ELCA is pleased to announce collaboration with ecoAmerica and its Blessed Tomorrow program, which helps faith-based organizations elevate their leadership on the moral, religious and justice issues surrounding climate change.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, and leaders from The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared a series of devotions for the annual ecumenical celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed this year from January 18 to 25. Each year churches from around the world mark a week to pray together for Christian unity.

November 14, 2018Current U.S. Policy, Israel/Palestine, and the ChurchesA New ContextForty years ago, the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel were signed and 25 years ago, the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were signed. For many, these two events offered hope of movement towards...

The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met at The Lutheran Center in Chicago Nov. 8-11. The council, which serves as the ELCA’s board of directors, centered its meeting around worship, Bible study and personal reflections on faith.

The Rev. Philip C. Hirsch was elected to a four-year renewable term as executive director of the Domestic Mission unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Hirsch was elected by the ELCA Church Council at its November meeting. His term will begin Feb. 1, 2019.

The Presiding Bishop and Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church on behalf of its House of Bishops, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committees on International Justice and Peace and Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs together wish to...