ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 12, 2003 ELCA Bishops Discuss Mission Support Needs 03-CWA-06-JB MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The Conference of the Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) discussed declining mission-support funds to the churchwide organization from synods, and asked its executive committee to develop a plan for continuing discussion on the topic. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body, consisting of the church's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary. It met here before the start of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 11-17. What set the stage for the discussion was a report offered Aug. 10 by ELCA Treasurer Christina Jackson-Skelton, who said mission support to the churchwide organization from the church's 65 synods was $26 million through June 30. That represents a decrease of $1 million from one year ago and $1.5 million lower than budgeted, she reported. Mission support is "the elephant in the room," a subject that some are uncomfortable talking about, said the Rev. Philip L. Hougen, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City. Hougen, who is part of a mission support team with some staff in the ELCA churchwide office, led the discussion. The bishops should be conscious of the "huge disparity" among the synods in how much they each contribute to the churchwide organization. "It's growing," Hougen added. "This is a threat to our unity as a church," he said. "It feels like a lot of ministries that were churchwide ministries are being shifted to synods." Hougen called for discussion on two points: should synods share funds with the churchwide organization by a strict percentage, and if synods change their percentages, should they be held accountable to other synods? "We have a crisis in stewardship," said the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod. "When we reduce giving to the churchwide organization, what are we saying?" In recent years, synods could commit their share of churchwide funds as much as 1.5 years in advance, said the Rev. Michael J. Neils, ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, Phoenix. "Now, we can't event predict what will happen six months from now," he said. There is a crisis among ELCA pastors who may be "distancing themselves" from the ELCA because they don't know what will happen on issues related to homosexuality, Neils said. The Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop of the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod, Rockford, said when pastors enter the synod, the synod staff shares expectations about growth in mission support. Professional leaders must be challenged to do more to grow in their giving to mission support, he said. Professionals at ELCA colleges have expertise in seeking financial gifts for their institutions and could be helpful to synods, said the Rev. Steven L. Ullestad, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly. "The issue isn't money at all," said the Rev. David A. Donges, bishop of the ELCA South Carolina Synod, Columbia. "There's plenty of money. We're talking about attitudes." In addition to their conversation on mission support, the Conference elected four of its members as advisory bishops to the ELCA Church Council. The council serves as the church's board of directors between churchwide assemblies, held every two years. Elected to represent ELCA Region 2 was the Rev. Dean W. Nelson, bishop of the ELCA Southwest California Synod, Glendale; Region 4, the Rev. Kevin S. Kanouse, bishop of the ELCA Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, Dallas; Region 6, the Rev. Gary L. Hansen, bishop of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, Lansing; and Region 8, the Rev. A. Donald Main, bishop of the ELCA Upper Susquehanna Synod, Lewisburg, Pa. -- -- -- 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