ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 20, 2009
ELCA Adopts Full Communion Agreement with the United Methodist Church
09-CWA-24-JB
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - By a vote of 958-51, the Churchwide Assembly of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a full
communion agreement with the United Methodist Church (UMC). The
agreement is the ELCA's sixth full communion relationship.
In 2008 the UMC General Conference adopted the same agreement.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "God's work. Our hands."
The assembly also adopted an implementing resolution by a vote of
922-15.
Full communion makes possible a variety of joint ministries, sharing
of resources and interchangeability of clergy.
More information about the assembly's action will be reported later.
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Information on the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at
http//www.elca.org/assembly on the Web.
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
