A Message from Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson

November 2006

Dear Colleagues in Ministry:

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

These words of greeting, with which the Apostle Paul begins his letter to the churches of Galatia, were heard in a special way this week by the ELCA Church Council. In the meeting that ended earlier this week, the council spent several hours engaged with the letter to the Galatians and Paul's strong invitation to those churches to live the freedom given to each of us through the Gospel in service to neighbor.

At its meeting last month the Conference of Bishops heard the entire book of Galatians recited aloud, and then spent several hours discussing Paul's letter. We know that synod assemblies this spring and the churchwide assembly in August also will take time to dwell in Scripture, hearing the good news of the Gospel as spoken to us by Paul in Galatians.

Why this focus on Galatians?

In response to the action of the 2001 Churchwide Assembly, this church is in the process of preparing a social statement on human sexuality for consideration at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. As with all ELCA social statements, materials are prepared for study and response, which is used as input into the deliberations of the task force that has the responsibility for drafting the social statement. I want you to know about the next phase of the process.

On December 4, the task force for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality will release "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality," a study that invites participants throughout this church into a discussion of human sexuality. The study is grounded in the New Testament book of Galatians and Martin Luther's essay, "On the Freedom of a Christian."

Through its engagement with these texts, the task force found energy and insight for its conversation about human sexuality. This also was true for the Conference of Bishops and the Church Council. I am confident that those who participate in the study will find it a rich foundation for their own conversations as well.

Over the last three years, I have been profoundly grateful for the key leadership roles that you and other leaders have played in this church's conversations about human sexuality. Thank you in advance for your continued commitment and leadership during the next phase of this church's study and conversation. I encourage you to participate in "Free in Christ to Serve the Neighbor: Lutherans Talk about Human Sexuality," as individuals, with congregations, and in synods, and to communicate with the task force concerning your responses to the study. Your comments about this study, as with those on the two previous ones, will help shape the social statement on human sexuality.

The study will be available for download online at www.elca.org/faithfuljourney on December 4, 2006. Soon thereafter, each ELCA congregation will receive a printed copy of the study. Additional printed copies may be preordered at the URL above.

As this church continues discernment regarding God's gracious gift of human sexuality, I pray with Paul, "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen."

Living in God's amazing grace,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

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