ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 6, 2004

War Responses, Relationships, ELCA Assembly Top 2003 News Stories
04-001-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Top Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) news stories of 2003 included the church's response to the
war in Iraq, the election of the ELCA presiding bishop as
president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and a series of
extraordinary meetings between ELCA leaders and international
church and political leaders.  In addition, actions of the 2003
ELCA Churchwide Assembly -- affirming a timeline for the ELCA
Studies on Sexuality, and adoption of an evangelism strategy and
social statement on health and health care -- were among the key
news stories involving the church in 2003.
     Top stories were determined by the ELCA News Service, a
component of the ELCA Department for Communication, based here at
the ELCA churchwide offices.
     ELCA News provides news about the church's mission and
ministry to the public and religion media. In 2003 the staff
consisted of John R. Brooks, director; Frank F. Imhoff, associate
director; Melissa O. Ramirez, associate director; Brenda G.
Williams, editorial assistant for production and media relations;
and Jessica A. Crane, student intern from Concordia College, an
ELCA higher education institution in Moorhead, Minn.
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, was the
subject of much news in 2003.  Already on record as opposing the
possibility of a U.S.-led war with Iraq, Hanson told the ELCA
Conference of Bishops in March in Charleston, S.C., of his
disappointment with President George W. Bush.  Bush wouldn't meet
with several U.S. religious leaders about their concerns related
to the war before it began.
     When war did begin, Hanson was in Geneva, Switzerland,
meeting with international church leaders on the first part of an
ecumenical journey in Europe.  From there he addressed the church
about the war, saying the U.S. "pre-emptive military strike
without the support of the United Nations" was a "sobering moment
for this nation and the world."
     "In the days and weeks ahead I call on all ELCA members to
pray fervently for peace, for the members of our military, and
for all who come in harm's way because of this war," Hanson said.
     During the same trip, Hanson and a small delegation of ELCA
leaders, members and staff, met with Pope John Paul II and the
Most Rev. Rowan Williams, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury.
Because of safety concerns, the group delayed the portion of the
trip to Turkey until 2004.  That trip will take them to visit
international Orthodox leaders.
     In July Hanson was elected to a six-year term as president
of the Lutheran World Federation, based in Geneva.  In that role
Hanson will preside at LWF council meetings and its assembly, and
work with the general secretary to speak to the world about
matters of concern and LWF ministries.  Hanson's term as LWF
president -- a voluntary position -- runs concurrently with his
role as ELCA presiding bishop.
     The 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly affirmed a timeline
adopted in 2001 for a four-year study process exploring questions
about homosexuality.  Specifically, the 2003 assembly declined to
alter the study process timeline.  The action meant that the 2005
churchwide assembly will respond to a final report and
recommendations from a task force studying whether or not the
ELCA should have a policy on blessing same-gender relationships
and whether or not people in committed homosexual relationships
should be ordained.  In 2007 the assembly is expected to act on a
social statement on human sexuality.
     The 2003 Churchwide Assembly adopted a comprehensive
evangelism strategy.  Its four significant objectives are to call
the church to prayer, prepare and renew "evangelical" leaders,
teach discipleship, and renew congregations.  It also adopted the
church's eighth social statement, "Caring for Health: Our Shared
Endeavor," the text of which discusses health and health care,
illness and healing from a theological perspective.
     The assembly elected Carlos Pena of Galveston, Texas, as
vice president, succeeding Dr. Addie J. Butler, Philadelphia.
Butler announced earlier she would not seek re-election.
     The ELCA News Service determined several other stories as
significant in 2003.   They are listed in no particular order:
     + Poisoning at Maine congregation: Arsenic poisoning killed
one and sickened more than a dozen other members of Gustaf Adolph
Lutheran Church, New Sweden, Maine.  Members of the congregation
in northeast Maine became nauseated April 27, shortly after
drinking coffee and eating sandwiches and sweets at the
church.  Walter Reid Morrill, 78, died the next day from what
Maine health officials identified as arsenic poisoning.  A few
days later, public health and law enforcement officials ruled the
death of Daniel Bondeson, a member of the congregation, to be a
suicide and indicated that a note found at his home in Woodland,
Maine, linked him and possibly others to the poisoning case.  The
investigation continues.
     + ELCA pastor held in Laos freed: The Rev. Naw-Karl Mua,
Light of Life Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn., was released July
9 from a Laotian prison and reunited with his family in St. Paul
on July 10.  Detained since June 4, he and two European
journalists were sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined about
$1,100. They were accused of cooperating with "bandits" to kill a
security official in a remote northeastern village in Laos, after
they entered the country to learn more about alleged human rights
abuses and mistreatments of the Hmong people.  According to the
Associated Press, the U.S. Embassy in Laos said the three were
released on humanitarian grounds but had to pay damages to the
family of a slain village guard as well as fines and court
costs.  Their release came after more than a month of diplomatic
efforts and pressure from international human rights
organizations.
     + Middle East peace: Among many peace efforts involving the
Middle East in 2003, Hanson joined 31 prominent Jewish, Christian
and Muslim religious leaders Dec. 2 to announce a new
collaborative effort to mobilize broad public support for active
U.S. leadership in pursuing peace for Israelis, Palestinians and
people in other Arab states.  Hanson was the moderator of a news
conference and a key spokesperson on the subject at the National
Press Club, Washington, D.C.  In May Hanson visited the Middle
East for the first time.  He met with the president of Israel,
and with the president and prime minister of the Palestinian
National Authority.
     + Editor held in Zimbabwe, released: Kathleen Kastilahn, a
section editor for The Lutheran, the ELCA magazine, and
colleagues from Europe and Africa were detained by authorities in
Zimbabwe, and released Jan. 28.  Kastilahn, Chicago, and as many
as seven others were part of a Lutheran World Federation trip to
Zimbabwe to report on Lutheran- sponsored aid and development
projects.  They were detained at their hotel in Zvishavane, 250
miles from Harare, because authorities believed they were
operating as journalists without proper accreditation. However,
charges against the group were dropped before it appeared in
court.
     + Restructure plan offered, withdrawn: After considerable
discussion within the church, some of which resulted in "broad,
often intense critique," Hanson withdrew a restructuring plan
Oct. 18, which he had proposed for the ELCA churchwide
organization one month earlier.  The proposal would have
reorganized the churchwide structure of the 5 million-member
church effective Feb. 1, 2004.  In November, the ELCA Church
Council adopted a new process for restructuring, expected to be
completed in November 2004.
     + ELCA Council cuts churchwide budget twice:  To address
declines in income to the churchwide organization, the ELCA
Church Council in April reduced the 2003 spending authorization
for current funds by $1.2 million to $83.6 million.  Six
employees lost their jobs, 1 person retired, 2 vacant positions
were eliminated and contracts for three term employees ended.  In
November the council reduced the 2004 spending authorization by
$2.8 million to $81.5 million.  Eight employees' positions were
eliminated or reduced from full-time to part-time status; five
staff left voluntarily or took reductions to part-time; and
several other vacant positions were cut.  Some program funds were
cut for 2004 and employees of the churchwide organization were
informed they would receive no salary increases.
     + Youth Gathering in Atlanta: With the theme, "Do Life!
Ubuntu," more than 40,000 teen-aged youth and adult volunteers
met in Atlanta in mid- and late-July at the Georgia Dome.  Two
identical events involved the Lutherans in worship, community
service, Bible study and fun.
     + Lutherans respond to human needs in wake of Hurricane
Isabel and California wildfires:  Lutheran Disaster Response
(LDR), a ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
(LCMS), responded to several disasters in 2003.  Key among them
were Hurricane Isabel, which struck the U.S. East Coast in
September.  The storm caused 17 deaths in six states and produced
extensive flooding.  Through LDR, individuals and congregations
worked with ELCA synods, LCMS districts, Lutheran social ministry
organizations and interfaith partners to provide disaster
response in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. LDR issued about
$100,000 in grants to assist California residents affected by
wildfires in October.  Five counties were affected by the fires,
which burned about 750,000 acres and destroyed some 3,600 houses.
At least 20 people died.
     + Significant deaths: the Rev. Timothy F. Lull, 60,
president and professor of systematic theology, Pacific Lutheran
Theological Seminary (PLTS), Berkeley, Calif., May 20; H.W.
Pfennig, Jr., 72, Houston, influential in the merger that created
the ELCA, May 18; the Rev. Paul M. Orso, 84, Gwynn Oak, Md.,
bishop of the Maryland Synod of the former Lutheran Church in
America (LCA) and former executive director of Lutheran Social
Services (LSS), Washington, D.C., Oct. 22;  Betty Lee Nyhus, 72,
Edina, Minn., former executive director of Women of the ELCA,
Nov. 4;  U.S. Sen. Paul M. Simon, 75, Makanda, Ill., former
Democratic member of Congress from Illinois, Dec. 9;  the Rev.
Raymond W. Wargelin, 92, Minneapolis, former president, Finnish
Lutheran Church of America (Suomi Synod), Dec. 12; the Rev.
Sidney A. Rand, 87, Northfield, Minn., former president of St.
Olaf College, Northfield, and U.S. ambassador to Norway, Dec. 16;
and the Rev. Michael C. D. McDaniel, 74, Hickory, N.C., former
Lutheran bishop of North Carolina, Dec. 18.
-- -- --
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