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Frequently Asked Questions About "Called to Common Mission"

The public media often do not understand that this relationship of full communion is not a merger. Confusion often is a result of errors in reporting. The relationship, however, is not a corporate merger, and each church body will continue to govern its own internal affairs. Answers to this and several other frequently asked questions have been prepared to help clarify the implications of this relationship. A more complete treatment of questions and answers is contained in a booklet printed in June 2001 titled "Since You Asked: Questions and Answers on 'Called to Common Mission'" and is available in multiple copies from the ELCA Distribution Service, in single copies from the ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, or a PDF file can be downloaded from the Web site for reproduction.

The document "Questions and Answers on 'Called to Common Mission'" was published prior to "Since You Asked: Questions and Answers on 'Called to Common Mission.'" This document, compiled by the Office of the Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, provides answers to frequently asked questions about "Called to Common Mission" based largely upon materials prepared by the faculties of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, as well as documentation prepared in the Eastern North Dakota Synod, Minneapolis Area Synod, Northwest Washington Synod, and the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

You may contact the Department for Ecumenical Affairs to request these and other resources related to this full communion relationship. Multiple copies of this document may be obtained through Augsburg Fortress at 1-800-328-4648 for the cost of shipping and handling.

Frequently Asked Questions
"Since You Asked: Questions and Answers on 'Called to Common Mission'" (also available as a PDF file)
"Questions and Answers on 'Called to Common Mission'"