ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 25, 2008
Book of Faith Resolutions Adopted at ELCA Synod Assemblies
08-099-LT*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Participants in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) Book of Faith initiative met here June
24-25 to consult over directions for the initiative through 2012.
According to its mission, the Book of Faith initiative "invites
the whole church to become more fluent in the first language of
faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we might live
into our calling as a people renewed, enlivened, and empowered by
the Word."
Of the ELCA's 65 synods, at least 41 have passed Book of
Faith resolutions, according to a report from ELCA Vocation and
Education.
Dr. Diane L. Jacobson, director for the Book of Faith
initiative and professor of Old Testament, Luther Seminary,
St. Paul, Minn., said she and her colleagues have been attending
recent ELCA synod assemblies to see the congregations' reactions
to the initiative. "The enthusiasm for the Book of Faith
initiative is palpable," she said. "There is a groundswell of
interest in this initiative. It's an enormous opportunity that
we have."
Luther is one of eight seminaries of the ELCA.
The long-term goals of the initiative are to have 75 percent
of all ELCA congregations become Book of Faith congregations, all
65 synods become Book of Faith synods, most institutions and
agencies of the ELCA participate in the Book of Faith, and 5,000
rostered leaders and 10,000 lay people trained with "enhanced
skills for teaching the Bible," according to Jacobson.
Jacobson said leaders in the initiative hope to achieve
their goals through grassroots organizing, networking and "synod
advocates."
Synod advocates are "point-people for the initiative on the
territory of their synods," said the Rev. Mark Wilhelm, associate
executive director for educational partnerships and institutions
and director for theology in daily life, ELCA Vocation and
Education. The primary job of an advocate is to "encourage
engagement in the initiative in that synod" and to find ways in
which his or her synod can "enrich leaders' capacities to teach
the Bible," he said. Advocates will attend training and
orientation here Aug. 15-16.
Seven new resources, including course kits, study Bibles and
Sunday school curricula, are set to be released by spring 2009
through Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the ELCA,
Minneapolis. As part of the initiative, all attendees at the
2009 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans will receive Lutheran
Study Bibles, Jacobson said.
"Because this is an initiative and not a program, the
resources are supporting the initiative, they're not driving it,"
Jacobson said. "It's really a matter of you taking the vision
and deciding as a congregation how you're going to have Scripture
become more a part of the culture of your congregation."
-- -- --
Information about the Book of Faith initiative is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bookoffaith on the ELCA Web site.
An audio report of this story is at
http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080625.mp3 on the Web.
*Luke Tatge is a senior journalism major at Augustana College,
Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer he is an intern with the ELCA News
Service.
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
