ELCA NEWS SERVICE March 22, 2004 ELCA Bishops Ask for Study on Authorized Lay Ministry 04-043-JB WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asked the ELCA Division for Ministry (DM) to conduct a study of the present policies and guidelines related to authorized lay ministry in the 65 synods of the church. The Conference's liaison committee to DM is to bring a report and possible recommendations to the bishops' October 2004 meeting. The Conference also asked DM to develop an approach for including "the wider church" in discussions "related to preparation of standards for ordained ministry in light of present, emerging and changing contexts for mission, including multicultural contexts." The Conference of Bishops met here March 4-10. Each ELCA synod is headed by a bishop. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church, consisting of the church's synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. For each request the Conference of Bishops asked that DM consult with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, the Office of the Secretary and other churchwide units. The requests resulted from a continuing discussion of lay presidency and authorized lay ministry in synods by the Conference. Under present policy, a bishop may appoint a lay person to preach, preside at communion and provide other ministry services to a congregation in the absence of an ordained pastor. Members of the Conference engaged in small group discussion on the topic and heard comments from three bishops who responded to papers on the subject prepared by Lutheran teaching theologians. The papers were written by the Rev. Timothy J.Wengert, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; the Rev. Sarah Henrich, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; the Rev. Maria E. Erling, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.); and the Rev. Thomas H. Schattauer, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. All of the seminaries are ELCA seminaries. The Rev. James R. Stuck, bishop of the ELCA Indiana-Kentucky Synod, Indianapolis, said there are some 70 trained lay ministers in that synod. The responsibility for proper oversight of lay ministry lies with the local ministerium, he argued, with "major assistance" from synods and seminaries. Ultimately, the church as a whole must be responsible, Stuck added. In his response the Rev. Steven L. Ullestad, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly, said to uphold the integrity of the Lutheran Confessions it is important to remember that the office of ministry in the ELCA is given to the whole church, and no one can exercise the office of ministry without a public call. "To violate policy is to violate relationships," he said. Because the office of ministry is given to the church, then it is the church that will determine who will symbolize the church "at the table," Ullestad said. "This is why this needs to be a churchwide policy, not [a policy] by a synod and not by a congregation," he said. The Rev. Robert D. Hofstad, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern Washington Synod, Tacoma, said if lay presidency is to be formalized, the teaching theologians' papers suggested there be four requirements: community discernment to determine who is most trusted to lead in administering sacraments; pastoral and episcopal supervision, training, mentoring and continuing education; public recognition of the person trusted to lead the community; and individual responsibility and accountability to "God in Christ," the worshipping community, local pastors and bishops, the wider church and to the person who is called to lay ministry. Following the presentations and discussions the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said he hoped the church would hear how "rich and deep" were the Conference of Bishops' conversations on lay presidency. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news