Title: Assembly Approves 'En-Bloc' Constitution Changes, One Other
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 12, 2001

ASSEMBLY APPROVES 'EN-BLOC' CONSTITUTION CHANGES, ONE OTHER
01-CWA44-JI

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) Voting members at the churchwide assembly of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Aug.11 approved a set of "en-
bloc" amendments to the church body's Constitution and one separate
constitutional change that allows churchwide units to have more than one
executive director, with certain approvals.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center. There
are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     The "en-bloc" changes, which passed easily, are primarily
editorial, for clarification or to eliminate duplication, explained Dale
V. Sandstrom, a member of the ELCA Church Council who also is a justice
on the North Dakota Supreme Court. The church council submitted the
proposed changes.
     Allowing more than one executive director to be elected for a
unit grows out of an action of the board for the ELCA Division for
Congregational Ministry, which elected two co-directors.
Although the action was inconsistent with the ELCA Constitution,
Sandstrom explained, that particular situation warranted the action.
Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson gave approval for the two to serve
in acting capacities, pending the action of this assembly, Sandstrom
said.
      The amendment allows two executive directors to be elected for a
unit, adding the words, "with prior consent of the presiding bishop and
the church council."
     There are two other separate proposed amendments to the ELCA
Constitution which have not yet been presented for action. Along with
the separate action approved Aug. 11, they originally were in the "en-
bloc" proposal, but were separated at the request of voting members to
this assembly.
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     Information about assembly actions will be at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded
updates during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.


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