ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 12, 2003

ELCA Assembly Adopts Rules Of Organization, Agenda
03-CWA-07-BMC

     MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- Voting members at the first plenary
session of the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted rules of
organization and the week's agenda, offered acclamation for the
presiding bishop's opening homily and were welcomed by the host
synod.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines
Center. There are about 2,500 people participating, including
1,031 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is
"Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the World."
     Moments before the plenary session closed, the Rev. Kevin
Kanouse, bishop of the ELCA Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana
Synod, commended the Rev. Mark Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, for
his "wonderful theological proclamation of the Gospel in our
midst" in the opening Service of Holy Communion. Voting members
gave Hanson a standing ovation. Kanouse asked that Hanson's
homily be printed and distributed to each voting member. A
transcript of the sermon will be ready later, please check the
ELCA Web site for the link.
     An amendment to the rules of organization and procedure
failed by a vote of 673 to 306. The amendment, offered by Lyall
Schwarzkopf of the Minneapolis Area Synod, would have required
the presiding bishop to obtain a two-thirds majority to make
changes to the agenda.
     The Rev. Paul Stumme-Diers, bishop of the ELCA Greater
Milwaukee Synod, offered greetings to the assembly. Stumme-Diers
said, "Every time we gather, we are mindful of the wider church.
In the Greater Milwaukee Synod, as in every synod, whenever we
gather in worship, prayer, study and service, we do so as a
churchwide assembly."
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Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/03 on the Web.

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