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The Eighth Biennial Churchwide
Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the
chief legislative authority of this church, was held Aug. 11-17,
2003, at the Midwest Airlines Center, Milwaukee. About 2,100
people participated, including 1,030 voting members. The theme for
the assembly was "Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the
World."
Carlos Peña Elected ELCA Vice
President
Carlos Peña, First Lutheran
Church, Galveston, Texas, was elected to a six-year term as ELCA
vice president on the fifth ballot Aug. 16. Peña received 627
votes to 346 for Mary Froehlig, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Manhattan Beach, Calif. Peña, 50, is president of Kleen
Supply Co., Galveston, and C.M. Distributing, Houston. He
previously was vice president of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf
Coast Synod and served a term on the ELCA Church Council. Peña,
who was installed at the assembly, will assume office Nov. 1.
The assembly honored Dr. Addie J.
Butler, Reformation Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, for her service
as vice president since 1997. She received the Servus Dei
medal, an honor bestowed on officers of this church when their
terms are concluded.
Presiding Bishop Focuses Reports
on Five Strategic Directions
The ELCA Church Council adopted a
series of five strategic directions for this church at its April
2003 meeting: evangelism outreach; supporting congregations;
deepening global, ecumenical and interfaith relationships;
witnessing as a public church; and developing lay and professional
leaders. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, reported
on each strategic direction during the assembly.
The assembly also set aside some
plenary time for a "Global Celebration." Participants
engaged in prayer, worship, song, dance and learning about the
church's global connections. The celebration included
international guests, many of whom participated in the recent
Lutheran World Federation's Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
July 21-31, 2003.
ELCA Plan for Mission Affirmed
The assembly affirmed this church's
strategic plan and authorized the Office of the Presiding Bishop
to implement the plan, including organization of the budget and
structure of the churchwide organization. By a vote of 692-213, it
directed that efforts to over-come racism be a key focus of all
five directions. The vote authorizing plan implementation was
838-25.
Evangelism Strategy, Health Care
Social Statement Adopted
Voting members adopted a
comprehensive evangelism strategy for this church, "Sharing
Faith in a New Century: A Vision for Evangelism in the ELCA,"
by a vote of 933-42. The assembly commended the plan for
"study and implementation" throughout this church and
affirmed its four significant objectives: calling the church to
prayer, preparing and renewing evangelical leaders, teaching
discipleship and renewing congregations. The assembly referred the
plan to the Office of the Presiding Bishop for inclusion in the
overall strategic plan and to churchwide units for study and
implementation.
By a vote of 935-34, the assembly
adopted the church's eighth social statement, "Caring for Our
Health: Our Shared Endeavor." The text discusses health,
health care, illness and healing from a biblical and theological
perspective. It offers "a vision for health care and healing
as a shared endeavor;" advocates for equitable access to
health care for all people; and suggests ethical guidance for
individuals and families. Social statements are major,
foundational statements of this church that address significant
social issues.
David Miller Re-Elected Editor
of The Lutheran
The Rev. David L. Miller was
re-elected to a four-year term as editor of The Lutheran by
more than 95 percent of the vote. Miller, 50, was first elected to
the role at the 1999 Churchwide Assembly in Denver. The
Lutheran is the magazine of the ELCA and is published monthly.
Assembly Hears Progress Report
on ELCA Sexuality Studies, Time Line Remains
The Rev. James M. Childs Jr.,
director for ELCA Studies on Sexuality, and the Rev. Margaret G.
Payne, bishop of the ELCA New England Synod and chair of the task
force for the studies, reported on the progress of the studies. A
second study guide for congregations, "Journey Together
Faithfully Part II: The Church and Homosexuality," is being
printed, Childs said. The guide will be mailed to rostered leaders
in September.
The 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
asked for a four-year study process exploring questions about
whether or not people in committed homosexual relationships should
be ordained and whether or not this church should have an official
policy on blessing same-gender relationships. A final report with
recommendations will be presented to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly.
The 2001 assembly also asked for a
social statement on human sexuality; it is planned for assembly
consideration in 2007.
After narrowly defeating an attempt
to delay the final report, this assembly voted 687-278 to decline
synod requests to alter the study process time line as mandated in
2001. Some ELCA synod assemblies had asked the churchwide assembly
to delay decisions on ordination and same-gender relationship
blessings until 2007 when consideration of the social statement on
human sexuality is anticipated.
Churchwide Budgets for 2004-2005
Adopted
The assembly adopted budgets for fiscal 2004 and 2005. For
2004, the assembly approved a budget proposal of $84.31 million in
current fund income, and a World Hunger Program budget proposal of
$16.25 million. For 2005, it approved a budget proposal of $85.14
million in current fund income and a World Hunger Program budget
proposal of $16.5 million.
Memorials, Resolutions
Considered, Adopted
Seventy-six memorials (resolutions)
from synod assemblies were received. Among its actions, the
churchwide assembly:
- encouraged a negotiated solution
to conflict in the Middle East and endorsed "The First
Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy
Land." The assembly affirmed the ELCA's support for
Lutheran ministries there, through the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Jordan (and Palestine).
- called on the U.S. government to
admit more refugees into the country and to provide better
care for refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers.
- reaffirmed the values and goals
in the ELCA's 1993 social statement, "Freed in Christ:
Race, Ethnicity and Culture."
- urged active participation of
youth and young adults in the ELCA Studies on Sexuality and
requested that the task force overseeing the study include the
concerns of young people in its work. In a separate action, it
referred to the sexuality studies task force a proposal to
organize "listening posts" to encourage this
church's members to hear the experiences of Lutherans who are
gay and lesbian.
- declined proposed ELCA
constitutional amendments that would have required ecumenical
agreements or standards for professional leaders to be
approved by congregations of this church. It also declined a
proposal that synod assemblies ratify amendments to the
churchwide constitution.
- defeated proposed expansions of
the ELCA Church Council from 37 to 69 voting members- one from
each of this church's 65 synods plus the four churchwide
officers. The assembly action affirmed the current structure
of the council, which serves as the interim legislative
authority between churchwide assemblies.
- declined a proposal that would
have allowed ELCA bishops to be installed without the
participation of other bishops in the historic episcopate.
- voted 918-48 to be a charter
member of Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A.
- declined to add seven-tenths of
one percent to the pension contribution rate to support the
pensions of pastors with low income.
- adopted a series of memorials
addressing human services funding, prison reform, gambling,
nonviolence, pension equity, licensed lay ministers, LWF
clergy reciprocity and others matters.
Ecumenical Guests Welcomed
To affirm its ecumenical
relationships, the assembly welcomed guests representing church
bodies and organizations. The assembly heard leaders representing
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF); The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod; National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC);
Roman Catholic Church; Moravian Church in America; World Council
of Churches (WCC); United Church of Christ; United Methodist
Church; Reformed Church in America; and Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.). Leaders of The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Canada were guest preachers at worship.
The ELCA shares full communion
relationships with the Episcopal Church, Moravian Church in
America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America
and United Church of Christ. It is a member of the LWF, NCC and
WCC.
Information about the churchwide
assembly can be found at www.elca.org/assembly/03
on the Web.
Ninth
biennial assembly
Aug. 8-14, 2005, Orlando, Fla.
