ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 12, 2003

ELCA Assembly Honors Zimbabwe Church, Early American Lutherans
03-CWA-09-DM

     MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The ELCA Churchwide Assembly today
remembered the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe and the
life and work of two pastors important in early American Lutheran
history.
     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."
     The two actions were the first on 76 memorials --
resolutions sent from the church's 65 synods -- that will be
considered by the churchwide assembly.  Brian Rude, church
council member and co-chairman of the Memorials Committee,
selected the committee recommendations on the two matters to
introduce the assembly to voting on memorials.
     With no discussion and few negative votes, the assembly
voted to:
     + "Rejoice with the members of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Zimbabwe on the occasion of that church's assembly and
include them in the prayers of this Churchwide Assembly."  The
action also thanked the Rev. Marie C. Jerge, bishop of the
Upstate New York Synod, and the Rev. Lee M. Miller, the synod's
former bishop, for "the thoughtful ways in which they have
nurtured the companion synod relationship" with the African
church.
     + "Remember with thanksgiving the life and work of the Rev.
Justus Falckner (1672-1723), the first Lutheran to be ordained as
a pastor in North America, and the Rev. William A. Passavant
(1821-1894), pastor, missionary and renewer of society."
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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