Associate in Ministry
- One of the three categories of rostered lay
ministers in the ELCA. Associates in Ministry are called and
commissioned for service in congregations, agencies, schools and
institutions of the ELCA. Their primary areas of service are education,
music and the arts, administration, service and general ministry.
Bishop - A bishop is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the
ELCA, given the responsibility to provide pastoral care and leadership
in a synod and its congregations, and seek to strengthen the unity of
the Church. The bishop is the chief executive officer of the synod,
elected to a term of six years and may be reelected.
Bishop’s Assistant or Associate
- A person who assists the synodical
bishop in carrying out the responsibilities of the office. A bishop’s
assistant or associate may be an ordained minister, a rostered lay
minister, or a lay person.
Bishop, Presiding -
An ordained minister of Word and Sacrament who is a teacher of the faith
of this church and provides leadership for the life and witness of this
church. The Presiding Bishop is the chief executive officer of the churchwide organization, and is the chief ecumenical
officer of the church. The presiding bishop is elected to a six year
term and may be reelected.
Book of Concord -
The Book of Concord is the 16th century statement of the Confessions of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church (the most recent edition was published
in 2000). Within it is the Augsburg Confession, which the ELCA accepts
as a "true witness to the Gospel," as well as other confessional
writings which the ELCA considers "further valid interpretations of the
faith of the Church."
Church Council -
The Church Council of the ELCA is its board of
directors, serving as the interim legislative authority between meetings
of the Churchwide Assembly. The Church Council meets at least two times
each year, and is composed of the four churchwide officers (presiding
bishop, vice-president, secretary and treasurer) and 33 other persons,
elected to six year terms by the Churchwide Assembly.
Churchwide Assembly
- The Churchwide Assembly is the highest legislative
authority of the churchwide organization. It reviews the work of the
churchwide officers and churchwide units. It establishes churchwide
policy and adopts the budget for the churchwide organization. It has the
sole authority to amend the constitution and bylaws of the ELCA. The
Churchwide Assembly meets biennially in regular session.
Churchwide Organization
- The churchwide organization functions
interdependently with the congregations and synods of the ELCA. It is
responsible for developing churchwide policy, standards for leadership,
including ordained and rostered lay ministries, and the coordination of
the work of the ELCA both globally and throughout the territory of the
ELCA.
Conference of Bishops
- The Conference of Bishops is composed of the
bishops of the 65 synods, the presiding bishop, and the secretary of the
ELCA. The conference meets at least two times each year and is a forum
in which goals, objectives, and strategies may be developed and shared
concerning pastoral leadership, care and counsel for the synods. The
Conference of Bishops reviews recommendations from the Division for
Ministry pertaining to policies and programs related to the rosters of
ordained ministers, and the three rosters of lay ministers (associates
in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers).
Confession of Faith
- The ELCA Confession of Faith confesses the Triune God, Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior, the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
as the written Word of God, accepts the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the
faith of this church, and accepts the Augsburg Confession and the other
confessional writings in the Book of Concord as valid interpretations of
the faith of this church.
Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions
- The basic commitments
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as its
organizational outline, structural patterns, and rubrics of governance
are expressed by its constitutions, bylaws, and continuing resolutions.
These documents govern the life of the ELCA as congregations, synods,
and churchwide organization.
Deaconess - One of
the three categories of rostered lay ministers in the
ELCA and an outgrowth of the European Deaconess movement of the 19th
century. ELCA deaconesses are called and consecrated, and serve in
congregations, agencies and institutions of the ELCA. They are members
of the Deaconess Community of the ELCA, and participate in the life of
that community.
Diaconal Minister - One of the three categories of rostered lay ministers
in the ELCA, established in 1993. ELCA diaconal ministers are called and
consecrated, and serve in congregations, agencies and institutions of
the ELCA. Their focus for ministry is the extension of the church’s
ministry of witness and care into the world.
Evangelical - From
the Greek word for "gospel" and its German derivative. Original
designation for the early reformers that is still used in
German-speaking areas for non-Roman and non-Orthodox Christians.
Historically unrelated to twentieth-century evangelical movements in the
United States.
Lutheran Book of Worship
- The Lutheran Book of Worship
(1978), is the primary worship resource for use within the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America and its liturgical texts and patterns of
worship are considered the norm within the ELCA. It is supplemented by
the worship resources, With One Voice (1995), Libro De Liturgia Y Cantico (1998),
and This Far by Faith ( 1999).
Manual on the Liturgy
- Manual on the Liturgy, published in 1979, is the primary
interpretative resource based on the Lutheran Book of Worship. This
manual provides a commentary and explanation of Lutheran liturgical
practices.
Membership. The 1999 membership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America is 5.2 million baptized members in 10,862 congregations. There
are 17,631 ordained ministers (11,335 active and serving under call),
1,074 associates in ministry (667 active and serving under call), 77
deaconesses (32 active and serving under call), and 36 diaconal
ministers (34 active and serving under call).
Ministry - The ELCA affirms the universal priesthood of all its baptized
members and commits itself to the equipping and supporting of all its
members for their ministries in the world and in this church.
Occasional Services
- Occasional Services, published in 1982, is a companion to the Lutheran
Book of Worship and provides services for specific occasions and
specific situations, as distinguished from services of worship of a more
general character.
Ordained Ministry - The ELCA confesses that within the people of God and
for the sake of the Gospel ministry entrusted to all believers, God has
instituted the office of ministry of Word and Sacrament. To carry out
this ministry, the ELCA calls and ordains qualified persons.
Pastor -
The normal term used to describe an ordained
minister of Word and Sacrament. A parish pastor serves in a
congregational setting. The term pastor may be used to describe an
ordained minister serving in a non-congregational setting as well.
Principles of Organization
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
understands itself as one church, recognizing that all power and
authority in the Church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. The
congregations, synods, and churchwide organization of the ELCA are
interdependent partners sharing responsibility in God’s mission.
Representational Principle
- Among the principles of organization, the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America has determined that at least 60 percent of the members of
assemblies, councils, committees, boards and other organizations shall
be laypersons; that, as nearly as possible, the lay members shall be 50
percent female and 50 percent male, and that, where possible, the
representation of ordained ministers shall be both female and male. It
is also determined that a minimum goal of 10 percent of the membership
of its assemblies, councils, committees, boards, or other organizational
units be persons of color and/or persons whose primary language is other
than English.
Region - There are nine geographic regions within the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, recognized as a partnership among groups of
synods within the region and the churchwide organization.
Sacramental Practices
- The Use of the Means of Grace (Augsburg Fortress, 1997) was adopted
for "guidance and practice" by the Fifth Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as a
"statement on the practice of Word and Sacrament."
Synod - There are
65 synods (similar to Episcopal Church dioceses) in the ELCA. Each
synod, in partnership with the churchwide organization, bears
primary responsibility for the oversight of the life and mission of the
ELCA in its territory.
Synod Assembly - The Synod Assembly is the highest legislative authority
of the synod, with a regular meeting held at least biennially (with most
synod assemblies meeting annually). All ordained ministers and all rostered lay ministers are voting members, as are representative lay
members from every congregation within the synod.
Vision and Expectations
- The document "Vision and Expectations -
Ordained Ministers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" was
adopted by the ELCA Church Council in 1990 as a statement of this church
about the vision for ordained ministry in the life of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America and the expectations of those who serve in
that ministry. It is used primarily in the candidacy process.
