ELCA NEWS SERVICE
April 20, 2007
ELCA Council Acts to Strengthen Mission Funding
07-065-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received and took a series of
actions surrounding a report submitted by the Blue Ribbon
Committee on Mission Funding -- a committee the council
constituted to study the funding policies and practices of the
ELCA.
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 here April 14-16.
Assemblies are held every other year; the next is here Aug. 6-11.
In 2006 a 10-member committee was appointed to study mission
support -- funds from congregations through synods to the
churchwide organization -- stewardship education, planned giving,
and designated and restricted giving, all aimed at strengthening
the future financial resources of the ELCA. The idea to create
the committee originated with the ELCA Conference of Bishops, an
advisory body of the church consisting of the 65 synods bishops,
secretary and presiding bishop of the church, and a proposal was
approved by the Church Council in November 2005.
In presenting the committee's report and actions to the
council, Grieg L. Anderson, Portland, Ore., council member, noted
that, although members of the church have continued to increase
financial giving in congregations, there has been a decline in
mission support over the years. Anderson was also co-chair of
the Blue Ribbon Committee.
"We need to turn that (decline) around to do mission in the
church as a whole. That's what we're here for and why we were
called on to act," said Anderson, a member of the Blue Ribbon
Committee. He said recommendations contained in the report are
"not a quick fix" but are "fundamental, foundational actions,
something that will serve the church for a long time." Anderson
expressed gratitude for those who are taking immediate action in
making the "recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee active
and alive even as we speak."
The report -- "Mission Flowing from God's Abundance" --
includes a history on patterns of giving in the ELCA and its
predecessor church bodies, a description of the pattern of
decline in mission support, a theology of stewardship, a
philosophy of mission funding, mission support outcomes and
goals.
The Rev. Jennifer J. Thomas, Milwaukee, a member of the
council and the Blue Ribbon Committee, specifically highlighted
mission support outcomes and goals.
"We're expecting rostered leaders to lead, and that this
will change the culture of the church of how we are stewards and
how we support the expressions, institutions and agencies of this
church," Thomas told the council.
The council commended members of the committee for their
"creative and diligent efforts" on behalf of the church. It
requested that the presiding bishop implement recommendations
related to the church's 2008 expenditure and staffing outlined in
the report. The council delegated oversight and coordination of
the report's implementation to the ELCA Office of the Presiding
Bishop with "specific measurements and evaluation cycles" to be
presented to the council at its November 2007 meeting, along with
progress reports through April 2008. It also urged the Office of
the Presiding Bishop to develop, with the council's support, ways
to foster a "deeper understanding" of the ELCA's "ecclesiology,
polity and philosophy" on mission funding.
In a separate action, the council transmitted the report to
the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and asked that it adopt a
resolution intended to give thanks for the "faithful members and
abundant resources" in the church, acknowledge "God's summons to
be good stewards" and maintain responsible management of
resources, commend the content of the report for study and
reflection throughout the church, foster renewed commitment to
"vigorous mission support" efforts and more.
Seeking participation from the Conference of Bishops, the
council offered to "assist the bishops in their role as leaders
in fostering support for the work of this church by being a forum
for discussion of annual mission support plans and serving as a
means of providing advice and counsel to the Church Council in
the council's responsibility for approval of those plans."
Council Approves Feasibility Study of Fund Appeal
The council initiated work on a feasibility study of a
fundraising effort that would benefit the ELCA churchwide
organization and the church's 65 synods. The council asked
several units of the churchwide organization "to proceed with the
steps required for a professionally conducted feasibility study."
The ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, which includes congregations in
Arizona and southern Nevada, asked the 2005 Churchwide Assembly
to authorize an appeal to raise money "for the establishing of
new congregations." The assembly referred the request to several
units of the church, asking for a report to the council. The
council referred the Grand Canyon Synod's request to the Blue
Ribbon Committee.
In background material provided to the council, the Blue
Ribbon Committee affirmed the feasibility study and recommended
initially that it study an appeal that would benefit "new
congregations, theological education and global mission."
"The committee believes that this appeal will give this
church a burst of focused energy and thus is worth the expenses
related to organizing and implementing the appeal. The appeal
will be a tangible reminder that this is one church and that the
responsibility to assist key areas of our ministry in taking on
new life is shared," it said.
The background material suggested a committee of synod and
churchwide representatives be constituted immediately after the
2007 Churchwide Assembly, that the feasibility study be conducted
in 2008, and that a proposal for an appeal be brought to the 2009
Churchwide Assembly. It also suggested using the 25th
anniversary of the ELCA in 2012 as a focal point for the appeal.
The Church Council asked that a report on the results of the
feasibility study be given at its April 2009 meeting.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
