ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 12, 2003 ELCA Assembly Adopts Rules Of Organization, Agenda 03-CWA-07-BMC MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- Voting members at the first plenary session of the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted rules of organization and the week's agenda, offered acclamation for the presiding bishop's opening homily and were welcomed by the host synod. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines Center. There are about 2,500 people participating, including 1,031 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the World." Moments before the plenary session closed, the Rev. Kevin Kanouse, bishop of the ELCA Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, commended the Rev. Mark Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, for his "wonderful theological proclamation of the Gospel in our midst" in the opening Service of Holy Communion. Voting members gave Hanson a standing ovation. Kanouse asked that Hanson's homily be printed and distributed to each voting member. A transcript of the sermon will be ready later, please check the ELCA Web site for the link. An amendment to the rules of organization and procedure failed by a vote of 673 to 306. The amendment, offered by Lyall Schwarzkopf of the Minneapolis Area Synod, would have required the presiding bishop to obtain a two-thirds majority to make changes to the agenda. The Rev. Paul Stumme-Diers, bishop of the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod, offered greetings to the assembly. Stumme-Diers said, "Every time we gather, we are mindful of the wider church. In the Greater Milwaukee Synod, as in every synod, whenever we gather in worship, prayer, study and service, we do so as a churchwide assembly." -- -- -- 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