ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 20, 2003 Holy Spirit At Work, Next Two Years Difficult, Says ELCA Presiding Bishop 03-58-CWA-JB MILWAUKEE (ELCA) - Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will enter the "next stage" of conversation about the place of people who are gay and lesbian in the life of the ELCA with "a new sense of confidence that the Holy Spirit is at work." Those were among the remarks Aug. 17 of the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, in the closing moments of the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines Center. There were about 2,100 people participating, including 1,030 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly was "Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the World." Following a worship service at the assembly, Hanson said three voting members spoke with him about their experiences here. Each said they knew their work would include the business of the church, but shared that they didn't know it would be a "spiritual experience," Hanson said. "That was my hope and has been my fervent prayer for weeks coming to this assembly," Hanson said. "We would so ground ourselves in worship each day, be so reminded through proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, that we would be so clear about the gifts of the Holy Spirit . that we would be free to confront the questions and issues that divide us. I believe God has been at work at our daily worship." One key issue before the ELCA is its studies on sexuality. In 2005, a final report with recommendations on questions about homosexuality will be presented to the churchwide assembly in Orlando, Fla. The studies are to address whether or not people in committed homosexual relationships should be ordained and whether or not the ELCA should have an official policy on blessing same-gender relationships. The assembly here affirmed the time line for the homosexuality studies, and declined to delay the final report until 2007, when the assembly is expected to consider a social statement on human sexuality. "I know that these next two years are going to be extremely difficult for this church," Hanson told the assembly. "[They will be] difficult because most of the 5 million members of this church don't know how in their own primary relationships to talk openly and faithfully about [their] own human sexuality, to say nothing about finding a way to talk about the sexuality of one another." The culture has "taken away" sexuality from people of faith, he said. The culture has "trivialized it, commercialized it and objectified it," he said. "I think we as a church body are saying to the culture that we are going to take back the gift that God gives all of us in creation: the gift of sexuality . mysterious, powerful, wonderful gift that it is," he said. "We are going to find a way, sometimes fumbling, sometimes with clarity, in the context of Scripture and our confessions to talk about what it means to be faithful stewards of this gift." Hanson said he trusts that the Holy Spirit will guide the ELCA to 2005 and bring the church to "decisions that this church will believe [are] reflective of the conversation we have had," he said. In his concluding remarks, Hanson also said: + that churches in rural settings are "the backbone" of the ELCA and he hoped members there understand the church will not turn its back on them. Hanson said he is encouraged by the creativity of rural ministries, which have developed "new patterns" of ministry, responded to droughts and adapted to change in rural economies. The church will continue the Small Town and Rural Ministry program, continue domestic grants as well as support efforts of synods in transformational ministry, he said. "We know that you are faced with enormous changes, but you are also blessed with fantastic gifts. I see our rural synods not in a panic mode of survival but in a renewal mode of ministry and mission proclaiming Christ," Hanson said. + he hopes congregations are involved in strengthening local ecumenical relationships by proclaiming Christ, witnessing, building communities of justice and peace, and sharing resources for ministry. "I hope each of you [is] finding ways to reach across the street and down the road to sisters and brothers in Christ," Hanson said. + the ELCA will continue its commitment to engage in "altar and pulpit" fellowship with other Lutheran church bodies that uphold the unaltered Lutheran confessions. "We regard the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) as being one of those church bodies, though they do not regard us thusly," he said. "There are serious, serious, serious issues between us." In November, ELCA and LCMS representatives will continue discussions, he said. ELCA representatives will be prepared to discuss ecumenical relationships, while LCMS representatives have been requested to address an action of their 2001 convention in which that church said the ELCA is not an orthodox Lutheran church body, Hanson said. + the next two years "hold daunting changes" for the churchwide organization, he said. The changes will be good for some people and not good for others, he said. Hanson was referring to the ELCA Plan for Mission, affirmed by the 2003 assembly. The assembly authorized the presiding bishop and staff to reorganize the churchwide budget and structure to fit the plan. Hanson thanked the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly voting members and staff for their work, calling the assembly a "most marvelous week." "This is a grace-centered, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit- filled church for which I am so privileged to be called into leadership," he concluded. Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.elca.org/assembly/03 on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news