LISTSERV mailing list manager LISTSERV 16.0

Help for ELCANEWS Archives


ELCANEWS Archives

ELCANEWS Archives


ELCANEWS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

ELCANEWS Home

ELCANEWS Home

ELCANEWS  February 2000

ELCANEWS February 2000

Subject:

Possible Changes Offered in Full Communion Implementation

From:

News News <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

[log in to unmask]

Date:

Mon, 28 Feb 2000 15:26:54 -0600

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (161 lines)

Title: Possible Changes Offered in Full Communion Implementation
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 28, 2000

POSSIBLE CHANGES OFFERED IN FULL COMMUNION IMPLEMENTATION
00-041-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Eighteen people with differing views on a
Lutheran proposal for full communion with the Episcopal Church met in an
unofficial, facilitated dialogue in Milwaukee Feb. 16-18.  The group
approved a "Common Ground Resolution" suggesting "a possible path" in
implementing the full communion proposal that could enable those opposed
to the proposal to remain in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
     "We believe voting members of the 1999 churchwide assembly did not
anticipate the depth and extent of opposition that appears to exist,"
the resolution said.
     One suggestion called on the ELCA Church Council to consider a
delay in implementing the proposal   known as "Called to Common Mission"
(CCM) --  until after the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, to allow for
certain constitutional changes.  Another suggested change would allow
ELCA pastors to be recognized fully as pastors even if their ordinations
are constitutionally "irregular" because a synodical bishop was not
present.
     Some dialogue participants suggested other proposals.  They
suggested ELCA bishops be fully recognized as bishops even if their
installations are irregular under CCM, or they suggested the churchwide
assembly create a non-geographic synod within the ELCA "which may be out
of conformity with certain provisions of full communion agreements," the
resolution said.
     Though CCM was adopted 716-317 at the 1999 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly, the proposal still must be acted on by a general convention of
the Episcopal Church meeting this July in Denver.  Until it is adopted
by the Episcopal Church, full communion is not in effect.
     Dialogue participants were chosen by a steering committee of
representatives who favor and oppose CCM, said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson,
bishop of the ELCA Saint Paul (Minn.) Area Synod, and a key leader in
organizing the dialogue.  Hanson is also vice chair of the ELCA
Conference of Bishops.  The idea for the dialogue was suggested by Clair
Strommen, a Naples, Fla., lay leader who was a dialogue participant,
Hanson said.
     The dialogue was closed to the public and media representatives,
including ELCA News and Information.
     Though it has no official status, the resolution and its proposal
will be forwarded for possible consideration to the Rev. H. George
Anderson, ELCA presiding bishop; the ELCA Conference of Bishops,
consisting of the ELCA's 66 bishops and the ELCA secretary; the ELCA
Church Council, the church's board of directors; and the WordAlone
Network, an interim organization that serves CCM opponents.  It will
also be provided as information to the Episcopal Church, the resolution
said.
     Lutherans who oppose CCM say they object to the ELCA's adoption of
the "historic episcopate," brought to the relationship by the
Episcopalians.  It is a succession of bishops back to the earliest days
of the Christian Church.
     The ELCA's adoption of the historic episcopate requires Lutheran
clergy to be ordained exclusively by bishops and requires bishops in the
historic episcopate to be present when Lutheran bishops are installed.
Currently, there are no such requirements in the ELCA.  Some 15 million
Lutherans in the world are part of the historic episcopate.
     Some CCM opponents have held a series of regional meetings, and
are planning a constituting convention for the WordAlone Network March
26-29 in Mahtomedi, Minn.
     The Milwaukee resolution was approved by 17 of 18 dialogue
participants.  The Rev. Joseph M. Wagner, executive director, ELCA
Division for Ministry, voted against.  Wagner said the resolution has
the effect of undercutting the action of the churchwide assembly to
approve full communion with the Episcopal Church.  He also told ELCA
News the meeting's dynamics encouraged the group to arrive at "an
apparent accommodation which over-represented a vocal minority
opposition to CCM in the ELCA."
     The resolution's proposals have been widely circulated and have
drawn some questions.
     "'Common Ground' seems to be a strange name for the resolution
because what is proposed  appears not to reflect an understanding of
either the present polity of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
or of our predecessor church bodies," said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen,
ELCA secretary. "To implement what I understand to be the assumptions of
the Milwaukee proposals would require substantial constitutional
changes."   The ELCA Office of the Secretary is responsible for
constitutional interpretations.
     Constitutional amendments to implement CCM were approved by 84
percent of the voting members at the 1999 Churchwide Assembly, Almen
added.
     In interviews after the meeting, views of the dialogue
participants varied.
     The fact that the meeting occurred at all was significant, said
Hanson, who favors CCM.
"Some supporters (of CCM) will say we tipped too close to those opposed
and others will see those opposed will have been heard and their views
articulated," he said.  Hanson said it's "very difficult" to make space
in the ELCA for those opposed to the imposition of the historic
episcopate and not undermine CCM.
     Hanson added he hopes the Episcopal Church will understand that
the issues are internal to the ELCA and that the discussion was aimed at
seeking unity.
     "I continue to support strongly CCM and full communion with the
Episcopal Church," said the Rev. Michael L. Cooper-White, director, ELCA
Department for Synodical Relations and assistant to the presiding
bishop. "I hope the outcome of the Milwaukee conversations might help
ELCA leaders find a way both to honor our church's adoption of CCM and
to enable those opposed to remain within the fold."
     Because the Milwaukee dialogue was not an official meeting,
Cooper-White said he opposed labeling the suggestions as a "resolution."
     The Rev. Bradley C. Jenson, Kenwood Lutheran Church, Duluth,
Minn., attended the meeting and opposes CCM.  The dialogue was "often
heated, but not personal," he said. Jenson said he was pleased with the
suggestions in the resolution.
     "I didn't expect we could get something together to agree on,"
Jenson said. "The meetings actually exceeded my expectations."
     Jenson said he will not remain in the ELCA if the historic
episcopate is imposed on future ordinands.
     Gracia Grindal, professor of rhetoric, Luther Seminary, St. Paul,
also attended and also opposes CCM.  Before the dialogue, she and other
opponents were "wary."
     "It was a very good meeting," she said. "I can always hope and
pray that God's will will be done.  It (the resolution) may go through
and some of it may not.  That may bring something else to consider."
     The Rev. Amandus J. Derr, St. Peter Lutheran Church, New York, a
CCM proponent and dialogue participant, sought to distance himself from
the meeting despite voting for the resolution.  He wrote and circulated
a letter five days after the dialogue.
     "I write to disavow completely any statement that indicates my
support of or agreement with the Common Ground statement," he said.
"This was an imbalanced, non-representative meeting in which a process
was used to create a final product with which I heartily disagree,
although after three days of forceful opposition to both the product and
the process, I didn't properly express my final disagreement with the
statement since I was rushing off to catch a plane."
     His letter also called for ELCA bishops and Church Council members
to be active leaders on CCM.
     Derr added he believes CCM is right for the ELCA.  "In New York,
it's the only thing to do.  We need partners," he told ELCA News.
     The dialogue's participants included Linda Danielson, Zion
Lutheran Church, Des Moines; Derr; Grindal; the Rev. Gordon S. "Tim"
Huffman Jr., professor of Christian mission, Trinity Seminary, Columbus,
Ohio; Jenson; the Rev. Marc Kolden, professor of systematic theology,
Luther Seminary; Dr. Margaret "Meg" Madson, Plymouth, Minn.; the Rev.
Ralph W. Quere, professor of history and theology, Wartburg Theological
Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa; Strommen; Ellen T. Maxson, Hartland, Wis., and
the Rev. Karen S. Parker, Yorba Linda, Calif., both members of the ELCA
Church Council; Cooper-White and Wagner, both with the churchwide staff;
the Rev. Richard J. "Rick" Foss, bishop of the ELCA Eastern North Dakota
Synod; Hanson; the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the ELCA
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod and chair of the ELCA Conference of
Bishops; the Rev. Stanley N. Olson, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern
Minnesota Synod; and the Rev. Peter Rogness, bishop of the ELCA Greater
Milwaukee Synod.
     The dialogue's chaplain was the Rev. Norene A. Smith, Bay Shore
Lutheran Church, Milwaukee; facilitators included Byron L. Tweeten and
William D. Luetscher, Growth Design Corporation.  The Rev. C.
Christopher Epting, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, was present
as a resource person to the dialogue participants but was not an
official representative of the Episcopal Church.



For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

Advanced Options


Options

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password


Search Archives

Search Archives


Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe


Archives

October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
November 2018
October 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001
September 2001
August 2001
July 2001
June 2001
May 2001
April 2001
March 2001
February 2001
January 2001
December 2000
November 2000
October 2000
September 2000
August 2000
July 2000
June 2000
May 2000
April 2000
March 2000
February 2000
January 2000
December 1999
November 1999
October 1999
September 1999
August 1999
July 1999
June 1999
May 1999
April 1999
March 1999
February 1999
January 1999
December 1998
November 1998
October 1998
September 1998
August 1998
July 1998
June 1998
May 1998
April 1998
March 1998
February 1998
January 1998
December 1997
November 1997
October 1997
September 1997
August 1997
July 1997
June 1997
May 1997
April 1997
March 1997
February 1997
January 1997
December 1996
November 1996
October 1996
September 1996
August 1996
July 1996
June 1996
May 1996
April 1996
March 1996
February 1996
January 1996

ATOM RSS1 RSS2



LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG

CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager