ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 20, 2003

ELCA Council Discusses Ways to Reverse Mission Support Trend
03-213-FI

     CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ELCA) -- Lutherans are putting more money
in the collection plates, but smaller percentages of that money
are reaching the synods and churchwide organization of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  The ELCA Church
Council discussed ways of reversing that trend.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and
serves as the legislative authority of the church between
churchwide assemblies.  The council met here Nov. 13-16 at the
invitation of the ELCA North Carolina Synod and joined in a
celebration of the synod's 200th anniversary Nov. 15 at Wake
Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.  Churchwide assemblies are
held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2005, in Orlando,
Fla.
     Five million Lutherans form the ELCA's 10,721 congregations.
In 2002, ELCA members gave their congregations $1,680,187,672 in
regular or unrestricted offerings -- up more than 1 percent or
$17,246,523 from 2001.  Regular giving by members grew 3.5
percent from 2000 to 2001 and 6 percent from 1999 to 2000.
     ELCA congregations are organized into 65 synods.
Congregations share a portion of their offerings with the synods.
A percentage of each synod's budget provides "mission support"
for the work of the ELCA churchwide organization, which includes
global mission work, preparing lay and ordained ministers and
starting new congregations.
     The Rev. Mark R. Moller-Gunderson, executive director and
coordinator for mission support, ELCA Division for Congregational
Ministries, told the council that congregations forward between
$130 million and $140 million to the synods yearly.
     When the ELCA was formed in 1988 from the merger of three
Lutheran churches, synods were expected to send 55 percent of
their receipts to support the churchwide organization.  In the
past 15 years, that percentage has varied among synods -- 50 have
lowered the percentage, while a few have increased it.  The
average percentage of mission support is now about 51.32 percent.
     "What can this council do about this?" Moller-Gunderson
asked.  "We can't physically be with synods when they make
decisions" about how much money they will share with the
churchwide organization, he said.
     However, several council members suggested that they could
attend meetings where the synods draw up and approve their
budgets.
     Linda J. Brown, Moorhead, Minn., said "communication" and
"relationships" are at the foundation of the way the ELCA
supports its ministries.
     Grieg L. Anderson, Portland, Ore., suggested that it would
take teamwork to change the "culture" within the ELCA that has
reduced the percentage of mission support.
     Moller-Gunderson led a discussion among council members that
explored the "critical points of contact" between council members
and key leaders of the synods.  "Don't underestimate the role
everyone in this room plays," he said.
     In addition to the presiding bishop, vice president,
secretary and treasurer of the ELCA, the council is made up of 33
voting members, who are elected by the churchwide assembly.
     Several council members offered to attend their own synod
council meetings and synod assemblies, plus those of a
neighboring synod, to provide "personal contact" between the
church council and the synods.  They stressed that the purpose of
such contacts would be to listen and "build relationships" and
not to "ask for money."
     Other suggestions were to ask the council's executive
committee to draft a letter or resolution to synod bishops,
asking that a council representative be added to the agenda of
each synod assembly.
     Janet Thompson, Eagan, Minn., said "major gifts" -- large,
one-time donations -- are an important component of the ELCA's
mission support plan.  She challenged each council member to
identify three major-gift prospects for the ELCA Foundation.
     "For the first time I can remember, we had some good
discussion of mission support and how we, as the elected board of
directors of this church, play a part in being 'mission
interpreters' . interpreting what it is that this expression of
the church does in terms of ministry," Carlos Pena, vice
president of the ELCA, Galveston, Texas, said after the meeting.
     "Many people in congregations do a vital ministry within
their community, and they need to see that there is mission going
on throughout the world on their behalf through the ELCA," Pena
said.  "We had some good discussion around that, and hopefully we
can continue that discussion as the council meets in the future."

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