Who
Attends the Churchwide Assembly?
Voting Members
This
year in Milwaukee, 1,031 members of congregations throughout the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will gather as voting
members of the 2003 Churchwide Assembly to make decisions on
behalf of this whole church. With the exception of the four
churchwide officers (presiding bishop, vice president, secretary,
and treasurer), who are ex officio voting members of each
Churchwide Assembly, these voting members were elected in 2002 at
synodical assemblies. The governing documents of this church
direct that each synod “shall elect one voting member...for
every 6,500 baptized members in the synod” and “one voting
member for every 50 congregations in the synod.” Each synod is
entitled to at least two voting members. Synodical bishops also
are ex officio voting members of the Churchwide Assembly.
Voting members of the Churchwide Assembly must be voting members
of a congregation of this church. The rules governing the
selection of voting members also direct that 60 percent of the
voting members will be lay persons, half of whom are female and
half of whom are male. At least 10 percent of the voting members
are to be persons of color or whose primary language is other than
English. The ELCA Church Council assigns additional voting members
to some of the smaller synods of this church in order to provide
greater geographical representation and to ensure the appropriate
gender and ethnic-specific balance called for by this church’s
governing documents.
Advisory Members
In
addition to voting members, the Churchwide Assembly has advisory
members to assist in its work. Members of the ELCA Church Council
and board chairpersons, unless elected as voting members, serve as
advisory members. In addition, executive directors of the
churchwide units and the executive assistants to the presiding
bishop serve as advisory members. Advisory members have voice but
not vote.
Other Non-Voting Members
The
governing documents of this church allow the Churchwide Assembly
to establish other categories of non-voting members, as well. The
presidents of this church’s colleges, universities, and
seminaries are granted voice but not vote at each Churchwide
Assembly.
Seminary Faculty Resource Persons
The
president of each ELCA seminary is invited to appoint a
representative from the seminary's faculty to serve as a seminary
faculty resource person for each Churchwide Assembly of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The faculty
representatives have voice, if so granted in the assembly’s
rules, but not vote in plenary sessions of the assembly.
Congregation Observers
Each
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is
invited to register with the secretary of this church one
congregation observer for the Churchwide Assembly prior to May 31,
2003. Such individuals have reserved seating in the observers
section of the plenary hall and receive a copy of the report of
recommendations for assembly action and materials
distributed on the plenary floor to voting members, advisory
members, and non-voting members during the assembly.
Observers have neither voice nor vote in plenary sessions of the
assembly. A registration fee of $300 has been established by the
secretary of this church for registration and related costs,
including enabling observers to receive the same meals as are
provided for voting members. Transportation costs, housing, other
meals, and related expenses shall be the responsibility of the
registered observer or sending congregation.
Visitors
The
ranks of the assembly are swelled by the large number of visitors
who attend the Churchwide Assembly to participate in worship and
to watch the legislative work of the assembly. Visitors have
access to a special section of seating on the assembly floor and
may attend other events associated with the assembly as space
permits. You may register as a visitor by filling out the
appropriate form. The registration fee for a visitor is $20 for
the week ($25 at the door), or $10 for a single day pass. A group
rate of $25 per day is available for a congregation’s catechism
class.
Staff of the Churchwide
Organization
In
order to facilitate the work of the assembly, a number of staff
persons from the Lutheran Center in Chicago work at the Churchwide
Assembly. Staff members from the Office of the Presiding Bishop
assist primarily in establishing the assembly’s agenda and
assist various assembly committees in their work. Staff in the
Office of the Secretary are responsible for the physical logistics
of the assembly, overseeing the election process, and recording
the minutes of the assembly. Members of the Department for
Communication are involved by working with representatives of the
media, issuing press releases about actions taken by the assembly,
and coordinating all video and audio support required on the floor
of the assembly. Worship services are prepared and directed by
members of the worship staff from the Division for Congregational
Ministries. In addition, a small number of staff members attend
the assembly in order to answer questions about the work of the
churchwide organization.
Volunteers
Finally,
the work of this Churchwide Assembly would be impossible without
the assistance of people who live in the greater Milwaukee area. A
Local Arrangements Committee assists the assembly planning
committee in making arrangements for the assembly, and by
providing hospitality to those who gather from around the country.
More than 1,000 volunteers devote many hours of their time in a
variety of capacities to make the assembly a success. If you would
like to volunteer, please submit your inquiry to the Local
Arrangements Committee via the attached form.
The Role of the Churchwide Assembly
The Work of the Churchwide Assembly
Who Attends the Churchwide Assembly?
Memorials and Resolutions
Role of the Church Council at the Churchwide Assembly
Role of the Presiding Bishop at the Churchwide Assembly
Role of the Secretary at the Churchwide Assembly
Opportunities to Learn About the ELCA
Nominations and Elections for 2003 Churchwide Assembly
