ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 21, 2008  

ELCA Council Recommends 2009 Assembly Rules, Acts on other Topics
08-196-MRC/FI/JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) recommended rules of procedure
to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, focusing discussion on
votes related to social statements and recommendations from a
task force report, both of which will be considered at the next
assembly.
     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. 14-17.
Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 17-23,
2009, in Minneapolis.
     The council's actions related to a proposed social statement
on human sexuality, currently in the final writing stages, and a
separate report with recommendations on ministry standards.  Both
documents are being prepared by a task force. They will become
public Feb. 19, 2009, and will be transmitted by the council with
recommendations to the 2009 assembly for consideration.
     The social statement was requested by the 2001 ELCA
Churchwide Assembly. The 2007 Churchwide Assembly requested the
task force report and recommendations. That assembly asked the
task force to "specifically address and make recommendations to
the 2009 Churchwide Assembly on changes to any policies that
preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this
church." The ELCA maintains a roster of its ordained clergy and
three rosters of its lay ministers: associates in ministry,
deaconesses and diaconal ministers.
     The council recommended the 2009 Churchwide Assembly retain
rules that require a two-thirds vote to adopt social statements
and amendments to the ELCA Constitution and Bylaws, both required
by the ELCA Constitution.  It declined two proposals to recommend
that a two-thirds vote be required to adopt recommendations or
resolutions related to a task force report.  If the assembly
agrees, only a simple majority will be needed for such proposals
under Robert's Rules of Order, unless the proposals call for
constitutional or bylaw changes, said David D. Swartling, ELCA
secretary.
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, abstained
from voting on the rules because he chairs the assembly, he told
the council. Swartling reminded the council that the churchwide
assembly has the final say on its rules of procedure.
     The council heard a variety of reports and took several
actions:
+ The council received an update on the work of the Task Force
for ELCA Studies on Sexuality.  At its March 27-30, 2009, meeting
here, the council will consider the proposed social statement on
human sexuality with implementing resolutions, and the report on
recommendations concerning possible changes to policies regarding
ELCA rosters.  The council will transmit those documents with its
recommendation to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.  From April to
June, the church's 65 synod assemblies will discuss and respond
to the proposed social statement and implementing resolutions,
and the report on the church's rosters.
+ Hanson described as "turbulent" and "expectant" the current
environment in the church and in the world.  He challenged the
council and other church leaders to exhibit "generous, faithful
and fruitful" leadership, by sharing resources and imagining "how
to put them to work for the sake of the gospel and God's mission
in the world."  He called for "evangelical, missional and
imaginative" leadership by letting go of any resistance to
claiming "evangelical" as part of who ELCA Lutherans are; and he
called for a deepening of faith practices in light of recent
reported drops in average weekly worship attendance.
+ Swartling said the financial giving total from ELCA
congregations reflected a slight increase from 2006 to 2007.
According to his written report, total receipts were $2.82
billion in 2007, up 2.5 percent or $68 million. Total assets of
ELCA congregations are more than $20 billion.  Swartling reported
a decline in average worship attendance of 211,043 or 13.4
percent over the past six years.
+ The council amended the ELCA Manual of Policies and Procedures
for Management of the Rosters to allow newly ordained clergy to
serve their first calls as mission developers starting new
ministries.  The church may authorize lay people to serve in
ministries of Word and Sacrament where ordained clergy are not
available; and another amendment to the manual says such people
serving in long-term ministries will enter the ELCA candidacy
process for ordination.
+ The council recommended the 2009 Churchwide Assembly call for
development of a social statement on the topic of "justice for
women in church and society" for presentation to the 2015
Churchwide Assembly.  The recommendation came from the ELCA
Church in Society program unit.
+ The council recommended to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly that
the assembly accept an implementing resolution as the basis for a
full communion relationship with the United Methodist Church
(UMC).  Earlier this year, the UMC General Conference adopted the
proposal.
+ The Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, former bishop, ELCA South
Dakota Synod, has been named ELCA coordinator for the Lutheran
Malaria Initiative (LMI), effective Dec. 15.  The council
previously authorized preparation for a potential Lutheran
malaria initiative education and fundraising campaign.  With the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Lutheran World Relief
as LMI partners, an LMI fundraising campaign is expected to be
considered by the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
+ Carlos Pena, ELCA vice president, Galveston, Texas, told the
council he is willing to serve another six-year term as vice
president of the ELCA.  In his report, Pena said he is "grateful
for the time spent in this position" and "willing to accept the
decision" of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly as "God and the
assembly see fit."  The assembly is scheduled to elect a vice
president, a layperson who serves as chair of the council and as
an ELCA officer.
+ The council called on the U.S. Department of Defense to ensure
that the Eucharist be available to military personnel each week
with a presiding chaplain who is recognized by the ELCA and
Episcopal Church.  The department considers non-Catholic
Christian chaplains "Protestant," a category that includes clergy
who are unfamiliar with the eucharistic liturgy.
+ The council adopted a revised policy document for the
acknowledgement of independent Lutheran organizations (ILO).
Organizations that function as umbrella organizations are
expected to provide information about constituent organizations,
and each must meet the criteria for ILO status.
+ The council received an update on the work of Lutheran Disaster
Response (LDR), a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS.
The Rev. Kevin A. Massey, LDR director, said 2008 marks the 20th
anniversary of LDR.  He said the anniversary occurs in one of the
"worst years" for natural disasters in the United States, with a
record number of tornadoes and the "most property damage" from
hurricanes sustained since 2005.
+ The council received the initial report of a 12-member communal
discernment task force it established in April to explore ways
for the ELCA "to engage emotional and divisive issues, seek the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, and make difficult decisions as a
church body in ways that will increase mutual trust, build
respect for each other as the body of Christ, and deepen
spiritual discernment."  The council encouraged planners of the
2009 Churchwide Assembly to review preliminary recommendations of
the task force, and it approved provisions for the task force to
continue through August 2011.
+ The Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, ELCA executive for administration,
reported that the leaders of the church's three financial
services units -- Board of Pensions, Foundation and Mission
Investment Fund -- have been discussing ways to "coordinate the
practices" of the units without changing their structures.  The
council received an implementing resolution and joint operating
guidelines adopted by each unit's board.
+ The Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, executive director, Evangelical
Outreach and Congregational Mission (EOCM), reported that EOCM is
placing a staff person in each of the church's 65 synods to work
with bishops to strengthen ELCA congregations and grow local
ministries.
+ Kristi S. Bangert, executive director, ELCA Communication
Services, introduced the new ELCA brand mark, which contains the
ELCA emblem, the name of the church and its tag line, "God's
work, our hands."
+ The council approved an initial current fund spending
authorization for fiscal year 2009 of $82,447,200, which is
$527,200 more than the $81,920,000 proposed by the ELCA 2007
Churchwide Assembly.  For the ELCA World Hunger Program, the
council approved a revised spending authorization for fiscal year
2008 of $22.7 million, which is $2.7 million more than the $20
million proposed. Christina Jackson-Skelton, ELCA treasurer, said
world hunger income through September is $2.6 million above what
was anticipated this year.  The council also approved an initial
spending authorization of $20.6 million for the World Hunger
Program for fiscal year 2009.
+ The council heard an update on a "feasibility study" to
determine the possibility of a fundraising effort or "churchwide
campaign" that embodies the church's three expressions --
congregations, synods and churchwide organization.  A proposal
for a possible churchwide campaign is to be brought to the March
2009 council meeting for transmission to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly.
+ The council received and reviewed a draft of a churchwide
strategy on HIV and AIDS.  A strategy is to be presented for
consideration to the March 2009 council meeting.
+ The Rev. Mark A. Cerniglia, Columbia, S.C., was appointed to
fill a vacancy on the program committee of ELCA Multicultural
Ministries.

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