ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 11, 2003 ELCA Council Delays Establishment of Two Commissions 03-CWA-02-MR MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) authorized a delay in requests for the establishment of an ELCA commission for "sexual minorities" and a commission for "children and families" until the churchwide organization's strategic plan is implemented. The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council met Aug. 10 at the Hilton Milwaukee. The 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is meeting at the Midwest Airlines Center here Aug. 11-17. The ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod and Metropolitan New York Synod and the 2001 Churchwide Assembly requested consideration of the establishment of a commission for sexual minorities. In a separate resolution, the ELCA Oregon Synod asked for consideration of the establishment of a commission for children and families. In response to the resolutions the council acknowledged the ELCA's strategic plan, "Faith Yet Changing: The Plan for Mission in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America." At its April 2003 meeting, the council affirmed Faithful Yet Changing. Janet Thompson, Eagan, Minn., council member, said it is premature to respond to the requests for two distinct commissions now, since the specifics of the strategic plan and churchwide office structure is uncertain at this time. Thompson is chair of the council's planning and evaluation committee. At its meeting here, the council acted to remove the two resolutions from "en bloc" to discuss and act on them separately from other "en bloc" memorials. Memorials are resolutions sent from the ELCA's 65 synods. Faithful Yet Changing will be presented to the 2003 assembly. If affirmed and directed by the assembly, the ELCA Office of the Bishop will begin an alignment of the churchwide spending plan, staffing and structure with Faithful Yet Changing this fall. The plan includes a mission statement, a vision statement, a signature phrase and five strategic directions for the church for 2003-2012. Information on the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is available at http://www.elca.org/assembly03 on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news