News

Building on a path toward greater unity, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Catholic Church will participate in a joint ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on Oct. 31, 2016, in Lund, Sweden.

The ELCA has received a $1 million grant as part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders. The endowment is giving a total of $28 million through this initiative, which supports religious organizations across the country as they address the financial and economic struggles that often impair the ability of pastors to lead congregations effectively.

In simultaneous meetings held on their respective campuses January 12-13, the boards of Gettysburg and Philadelphia Lutheran seminaries adopted identical resolutions calling for “the creation of a new school of theology and leadership formation.”

Portico Benefit Services, a ministry of the ELCA, has launched what it calls the ELCA wellness reformation and is inviting ELCA pastors and church leaders to pursue healthier lifestyles in 2016 through its annual wellness program, the GO! Challenge. Portico provides benefits and services to enhance the well-being of ELCA rostered leaders and lay employees.

After a December visit to the Chicago Immigration Court of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton reaffirmed the ELCA's commitment to work as "church together" to bear witness and respond to the significant number of children and families fleeing Central America and Mexico.

Lifting up this church’s commitment to the 500-year-old Lutheran intellectual tradition, the ELCA has created the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities, established in collaboration with the ELCA’s 26 colleges and universities to promote their shared mission and identity.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, met with Syrian refugees living in the Za’atari refugee camp during a Dec. 12-15 trip to Jordan.

In her Christmas message, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, said although the evidence of Christmas is all around, “We are also still in Advent.”

Affirming this church’s commitment to caring for God’s creation, the ELCA supports the outcome of the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which met in Paris Nov. 30-Dec.11. The summit concluded with the approval of the Paris agreement, which includes a commitment to keep global warming well below two degrees.

In a Dec. 11 letter to the Muslim-American community, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said, “I am writing on behalf of many Christians in this country who wish to share a word of solidarity, love and hope with you in these difficult days.”

The ELCA is hosting its first Grace Gathering, an event to help prepare Lutherans for the observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It will be held in partnership with the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in New Orleans.

On the 45th anniversary of the ordination of Lutheran women in the United States, "I give thanks for my sisters who were the first women pastors," said the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA. "I give thanks for all women in ministry. We are doing what Mary, the mother of our Lord, and Mary Magdalene did before us – proclaiming the gospel."

In response to the terrorism around the world and people displaced from their homes and seeking refuge, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton issued a statement Nov. 18 to the 3.7 million member church.

The ELCA Church Council adopted a social message on gender-based violence and adopted an accompanying foundational document designed for in-depth study and analysis when it met here Nov. 12-15. The council, which serves as the ELCA's board of directors, also took action on a variety of matters designed to help move forward the church's mission and ministries.

Lutheran leaders in the United States and worldwide are condemning the Nov. 12-13 attacks that resulted in loss of lives in Beirut and Paris.

As racism remains an enduring crisis in the United States, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton is continuing her call to the 3.7 million member church to address the complexity and implications of the issue in "Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning" – a live webcast Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. (CST). This is Eaton's second live webcast on the topic of racism.

More than 70 representatives of the ELCA eight seminaries convened Nov. 1 for a two-day session to envision what a "common learning exchange" could mean for the church's theological education network.

Drawing on 50 years of national and international dialogue, Lutherans and Catholics have made available Oct. 30 Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist – a unique ecumenical document that marks a pathway toward greater unity between Catholics and Lutherans.

The Rev. A. Craig Settlage, former director for ELCA Mission Support, died Oct. 21 in Bradenton, Fla. He was 73. A memorial service will be held Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Venice, Fla.

Some ELCA members affected by wildfires in Northern California said that their faith, family and friends sustained them during a difficult time.