ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 22, 2004

ELCA Bishops Ask for Study on Authorized Lay Ministry
04-043-JB

     WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asked the
ELCA Division for Ministry (DM) to conduct a study of the present
policies and guidelines related to authorized lay ministry in the
65 synods of the church.  The Conference's liaison committee to
DM is to bring a report and possible recommendations to the
bishops' October 2004 meeting.
     The Conference also asked DM to develop an approach for
including "the wider church" in discussions "related to
preparation of standards for ordained ministry in light of
present, emerging and changing contexts for mission, including
multicultural contexts."
     The Conference of Bishops met here March 4-10.  Each ELCA
synod is headed by a bishop. The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an
advisory body of the church, consisting of the church's synod
bishops, presiding bishop and secretary.
     For each request the Conference of Bishops asked that DM
consult with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, the Office
of the Secretary and other churchwide units.
     The requests resulted from a continuing discussion of lay
presidency and authorized lay ministry in synods by the
Conference.  Under present policy, a bishop may appoint a lay
person to preach, preside at communion and provide other ministry
services to a congregation in the absence of an ordained pastor.
     Members of the Conference engaged in small group discussion
on the topic and heard comments from three bishops who responded
to papers on the subject prepared by Lutheran teaching
theologians. The papers were written by the Rev. Timothy
J.Wengert, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; the
Rev. Sarah Henrich, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; the Rev.
Maria E. Erling, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
(Pa.); and the Rev. Thomas H. Schattauer, Wartburg Seminary,
Dubuque, Iowa.  All of the seminaries are ELCA seminaries.
     The Rev. James R. Stuck, bishop of the ELCA Indiana-Kentucky
Synod, Indianapolis, said there are some 70 trained lay ministers
in that synod.  The responsibility for proper oversight of lay
ministry lies with the local ministerium, he argued, with "major
assistance" from synods and seminaries.  Ultimately, the church
as a whole must be responsible, Stuck added.
     In his response the Rev. Steven L. Ullestad, bishop of the
ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly, said to uphold the
integrity of the Lutheran Confessions it is important to remember
that the office of ministry in the ELCA is given to the whole
church, and no one can exercise the office of ministry without a
public call.
     "To violate policy is to violate relationships," he said.
     Because the office of ministry is given to the church, then
it is the church that will determine who will symbolize the
church "at the table," Ullestad said.
     "This is why this needs to be a churchwide policy, not [a
policy] by a synod and not by a congregation," he said.
     The Rev. Robert D. Hofstad, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern
Washington Synod, Tacoma, said if lay presidency is to be
formalized, the teaching theologians' papers suggested there be
four requirements: community discernment to determine who is most
trusted to lead in administering sacraments; pastoral and
episcopal supervision, training, mentoring and continuing
education; public recognition of the person trusted to lead the
community; and individual responsibility and accountability to
"God in Christ," the worshipping community, local pastors and
bishops, the wider church and to the person who is called to lay
ministry.
     Following the presentations and discussions the Rev. Mark S.
Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said he hoped the church would
hear how "rich and deep" were the Conference of Bishops'
conversations on lay presidency.

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