Title: ELCA Bishops Speak on Iraq, to Study Lay Presidency
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 14, 2003

ELCA BISHOPS SPEAK ON IRAQ, TO STUDY LAY PRESIDENCY
03-048-JB

     CHARLESTON, S.C. (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), noting that a war against
Iraq seems more likely, urged members of the ELCA to "engage in special
Lenten disciplines of prayer and fasting in behalf of peace."  In a
separate action, it affirmed the public statements about peaceful
solutions to the possibility of war from the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA
presiding bishop.
     The ELCA is organized into 65 synods, each headed by a bishop.
The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body to the church,
consisting of the church's 65 synod bishops, ELCA presiding bishop and
ELCA secretary.  The conference met here March 6-11.
     In its first action, the Conference of Bishops asked congregations
to make peace a topic in their prayers during remaining Sundays in Lent
-- at least through April 13.
     "Because the prospect of war is of concern to the entire global
community, this is also an appropriate time to join with fellow
Christians and persons of other faiths in times of worship, prayer, and
deeds which bear witness to our faith that God cares for all of creation
and the whole human family," the resolution said.
     The bishops' resolution included several specific prayer
petitions.  The petitions call for  prayers for the peace in the world,
for the people of Iraq, for United States service men and women and for
U.S. military chaplains.
     For President George W. Bush and U.S. leaders, the prayer petition
asks "that God will give them wisdom and compassion, enabling them to
preserve the security of our nation while also sparing the people of
Iraq from war."  For Saddam Hussein and the leaders of Iraq, the
petition asks "that they will choose peace, comply with the
international mandate to destroy weapons of mass destruction, and end
the oppression under which their people are forced to live."
     The resolution was proposed to the Conference of Bishops by its
Theological and Ethical Concerns Committee.
     In a separate action, the bishops affirmed a Nov. 26, 2002, public
statement by Hanson, and a Feb. 13 e-mail from Hanson to pastors and
professional lay leaders of the church.  The bishops also commended
Hanson for his work to seek peaceful solutions to violence in the Middle
East and to call for peaceful means to resolve the situation with Iraq.
     The second action was initiated at the urging of the Rev. Robert
A. Rimbo, bishop of the ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod, Detroit.  When
the prayer resolution was introduced, he asked his colleagues if they
could do more beyond calling for prayers.  Rimbo suggested affirming the
church's social statement, "For Peace in God's World," and he asked them
to stand with the presiding bishop and his "courageous words."
     In his Feb. 13 e-mail message to ELCA leaders, Hanson said he is
greatly troubled by the situation between the governments of the United
States and Iraq and the possibility of war.  He   asked church leaders
to be "united in our commitment to pray, to engage in public
deliberation and to work for peace."
     In his Nov. 26 statement, Hanson said the ELCA would continue to
urge the U.S. government to work with the international community to use
peaceful means to disarm Iraq. Hanson welcomed a unanimous vote of the
U.N. Security Council which called for the government of Iraq to comply
with the inspections aimed at removing and destroying weapons of mass
destruction. Hanson also said he welcomed President Bush's efforts "to
seek an international consensus on steps to ensure Iraqi disarmament."

BISHOPS TO STUDY LAY PRESIDENCY ISSUES
     Beginning with their October 2003 meeting, the bishops agreed to
begin a study process of lay presidency -- a situation in which a lay
person may preach or preside at Holy Communion -- and other matters
related to a growing need for alterative leadership in worship.  The
study process is a follow-up to the bishops' October 2002 meeting, at
which they expressed a variety of concerns about lay presidency and the
need for lay presidency standards in the ELCA.
     The Rev. A. Craig Settlage, associate executive director, ELCA
Division for Ministry, proposed that selected teaching theologians of
the church prepare papers on the subject for discussion at the bishop's
fall 2003 meeting and the bishops' 2004 academy, held in January.
     The papers, from the perspectives of mission, Scripture and
confessions, and liturgy, will examine two primary issues of concern,
Settlage said.  They are "the meaning and function of call and
ordination in the life of this church," and "the church's understanding
and use of authorized lay ministers for the ministry of Word and
Sacrament," according to his report to the bishops.
      "Lay ministry is one of the major concerns and opportunities for
the ELCA," said the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the ELCA
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh, and chair of the Conference
of Bishops.
     "We know that there's a variety of practices," McCoid added.  "The
actions that we took are significant because it raises and frames some
of the questions that we need to look at as we look at lay presidency
and synodically authorized ministry."

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