Title: Time for ELCA Ministry to Self-Assess
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 29, 1996
TIME FOR ELCA MINISTRY TO SELF-ASSESS (87 lines)
96-07-023-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Since the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America was formed in 1988 its Division for Ministry has been
involved in two major studies -- ministry and theological
education. The division's board met here March 14-16 to begin a
process of assessing that work and planning for the future said
its chair, Dr. Nelvin L. Vos, professor of English at Muhlenberg
College, Allentown, Pa.
The first items on the board's agenda set the mood of the
meeting, said Vos. The Rev. Joseph M. Wagner was considered for
re-election as the division's executive director, the first draft
of a vision statement was presented, and a progress report was
received on implementing the theological education study.
Wagner was unanimously re-elected to another four-year term
after "a very intensive process" of questions, presentations and
deliberation, said Vos. "What was important about that was not
only that he was re-elected, which shows our confidence in him,
but it also gave us an opportunity to look at the work of the
division and our own work."
"Prior to that we were so overwhelmed with a study of
ministry and a study of theological education that we never
stopped to think 'What are we doing?' ... 'How well are we doing
it?' ... 'Where are we going?' -- the basic questions that boards
don't often answer because we're dealing with what's coming right
in front of us," he said.
The ministry board examined the draft vision statement and
asked the division's staff to rework it and bring it back to the
board's October meeting. "There was gratitude for the work being
begun, but the board really wanted it to have more vision and
more specificity," said Vos.
The board also appointed a subcommittee to return in October
with "some very specific ideas of how we might do our business
more effectively and more meaningfully," said Vos. "That's not
to imply that we've been slouching, but this group wants to self-
assess."
The ELCA is developing a theological education network of
its eight seminaries and all other educational providers involved
in equipping the church's clergy and lay leadership. "Sometimes
I get a little impatient, hoping it will move along a little
faster, but the progress reports seem to be on target," said Vos.
"We are at the place where we, the seminaries, their boards
and faculties are really having to make the concrete decisions,"
he said. "We stand at the shore. Should we jump in or not?
People are jumping in, but the water's a little cold."
The division board looked at how the ELCA funds its
seminaries and the priorities for future support. More than
$3.85 million of the division's $5.39-million budget goes to the
seminaries, said Vos. In 1988 the seminaries received $4.86
million through the division.
The Division for Ministry supports the ministries of all 5.2
million members of the ELCA, especially pastors, associates in
ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers, through churchwide
programs of recruitment, education, approval, continuing
education and theological reflection, in partnership with
seminaries, continuing education centers, other churchwide units,
synods, pastors and rostered lay ministers.
In other business the division's board:
* asked the ELCA Church Council to extend a "letter of call"
to the Rev. Stephen L. Ganzkow-Wold, Madison, Wis., to serve as
coordinator of the Ministerial Health and Wellness Program -- a
position developed in cooperation with the Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod;
* approved the standards for specialized pastoral care --
long-term care chaplaincy, general health care chaplaincy, mental
health care chaplaincy, correctional chaplaincy, pastoral
counseling ministry, substance abuse counseling and mental
retardation/developmental disability ministry -- also developed
in cooperation with the LCMS;
* approved "Guidelines Related to On-Leave-from Call Status"
for consideration by the ELCA Church Council;
* heard a status report on interim ministry and submitted it
to the ELCA Church Council;
* authorized the ELCA Church Council to extend letters of
call to several ELCA pastors who have recently joined seminary
faculties and staffs;
* appointed or reappointed people to ELCA seminary boards;
and
* ratified the appointment of Dr. Keith Roe, Phoenix, to the
steering committee of the ELCA Work Group on Science and
Technology.
The ELCA Church Council meets here April 12-15. It is the
ELCA's chief legislative body between biennial churchwide
assemblies.
For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955;
Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956
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