ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 19, 2007  

ELCA Council Commends Renewal Initiative Focused on the Bible
07-063-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) recommended that the ELCA's
2007 Churchwide Assembly affirm an initiative and invite the
church's 4.85 million members to engage the Bible.  "Book of
Faith: Lutherans Read the Bible" is a proposal "to form culture
and customs in this church that will open it to a new level of
valuing and being shaped by the power of the Word."
     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 April 14-16.
Assemblies are held every other year; the next is here Aug. 6-11.
     Lutherans in North Carolina proposed the initiative in a
resolution to the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.  The assembly
referred the resolution on "foundational issues of the authority
of Scripture and principles of biblical interpretation" to ELCA
staff "for development of a report and possible recommendations."
     The council assigned direction of the initiative to the ELCA
Office of the Presiding Bishop with program implementation to be
carried out by ELCA Vocation and Education.
     The Rev. Stanley N. Olson, executive director, ELCA Vocation
and Education, told the council, "The Book of Faith initiative is
aimed at renewal at the core -- the Bible as God's Word for us."
     Olson said the Lutheran church was engaged in a number of
major Bible study efforts throughout the 20th century.  Those
efforts focused on adults and on specific printed resources, he
said.
     Olson likened the Book of Faith initiative more to the
Lutheran Reformation -- "a renewal of the church growing out the
Word."  The Reformation was about the core of the Church, he
said.  "It was high profile.  It had to do with institutions.  It
was directed to all ages and all aspects of Christian life.  It
was integrative."
     The council asked the 2007 Churchwide Assembly to adopt two
resolutions.  The first is an affirmation that this initiative is
about "the core, central things, essential things, and that it is
in a context of history, a context of confession of faith, an
ecumenical and global context," Olson said.
     The second resolution launches the initiative, he said, in
two general directions: "for a broader and deeper engagement of
the Scriptures by this church, and for intentional teaching,
understanding and use of the Lutheran approaches to Scripture
that have proven so fruitful over the years."
     "We have a great opportunity here to be a part of another
renewal of the church," Olson concluded.
-- -- --
     Information about the Book of Faith initiative is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bookoffaith/ on the ELCA Web site.

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