ELCA Department for Communication, News & Information
8765 West Higgins Rd, Chicago, IL 60631 800/638-3522 ext. 2963
HEADLINES FOR ELCA NEWS RELEASE ISSUE #15, June 6, 1995
-- SECOND LUTHERAN WOMAN ELECTED BISHOP
-- PENSION BOARD AMENDS ABORTION COVERAGE
-- TELECONFERENCE FOCUSES ON FUTURE
June 6, 1995
SECOND LUTHERAN WOMAN ELECTED BISHOP
95-15-046-AH
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (ELCA) -- The Rev. Andrea F.
DeGroot-Nesdahl is the second woman in North America and the sixth in
the world to be elected a bishop in the Lutheran church.
DeGroot-Nesdahl, 45, was elected bishop of the South Dakota Synod,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, at the synod's assembly here
today.
DeGroot-Nesdahl is currently assistant to the bishop in the
ELCA's Western North Dakota Synod, based in Bismarck. She has held
that position since 1990 with specific responsibility for congregational life
and youth.
In South Dakota, DeGroot-Nesdahl succeeds the retiring Bishop
Norman D. Eitrheim. She was elected with 423 votes on the third ballot.
The Rev. Charles Hazlett, Custer Fellowship Lutheran Church, Custer,
S.D., received 287 votes.
DeGroot-Nesdahl cites three priorities for ministry in the ELCA:
evangelism, discipleship and servant leadership. She said "servant
leadership is understanding that we are all called to let go and let God be
the Lord of the church, let the Spirit move in all our lives and proclaim the
kingdom. It is not about ourselves but about Jesus -- not about
personalities and certainly not about gender, but about whose ministry it
is and our role in it."
The challenge facing the church, she said, is to "renew
commitment to evangelism, to outreach and welcome." DeGroot-Nesdahl
stressed "stewardship of all that God has given us." Of the election
process she said, "I have felt that we've literally put ourselves in the
Spirit's hands."
The first Lutheran woman elected a bishop was the Rev. Maria
Jepsen, Hamburg Diocese, North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church
(Germany) on April 4, 1992. Bishop April Ulring Larson, La Crosse (Wis.)
Area Synod, ELCA, was elected two months later.
DeGroot-Nesdahl, a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary,
Dubuque, Iowa, was ordained in the former American Lutheran Church.
She was a chaplain at St. Joseph's Hospital, Minot, N.D., prior to her
work on the synod staff.
She served as pastor of Hope Lutheran Church, Surrey, N.D.;
Trinity Lutheran Parish, Glenburn and Lansford, N.D.; and St. Mark's
Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis.
Other women bishops in world Lutheranism are: Bishop
Rosemarie Koehn, Hamar Diocese, Church of Norway; Bishop Lise-Lotte
Rebel, Helsingoer Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark; and
Bishop Sofie Petersen, Church of Greenland, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Denmark.
##########
June 6, 1995
PENSION BOARD AMENDS ABORTION COVERAGE
95-14-047-AH
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America's Board of Pensions' trustees proposed an amendment to its
Medical and Dental Benefits Plan that would limit coverage of elective
abortions to those where the mother#s life is threatened, where
pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or where the embryo/fetus has
lethal abnormalities incompatible with life. The trustees met here May
11-12.
The board's unanimous action will be sent to the ELCA Church
Council for consideration. The board's proposal comes following a
number of queries from members of ELCA congregations.
Previously the board did not inquire as to the reasons for an
abortion because medical codes for miscarriages and therapeutic
abortions are the same as for elective abortions. Under the proposed
rules, ambiguous claims would be followed up by a brief questionnaire to
determine that the procedure is within the limits.
The board sought to bring the plan in line with the 1991 ELCA
social statement on abortion which cites these three situations as those
where abortion should not be prohibited by law. "Beyond these
situations, this church neither supports nor opposes laws prohibiting
abortion," the statement says.
ELCA social statements are not binding upon an individual, rather
they are teaching documents that provide order and shape to the life of
the institution.
Prior to the amendment's consideration by the Church Council a
consultation will be held in June to include representatives of the Board
of Pensions, staff of the ELCA's Division for Church in Society (DCS), the
bishops who relate to these units, staff of the Office of the Bishop, and
possibly selected ethicists. Its purpose is to explore implications of the
proposed change in the medical plan in light of the social statement on
abortion.
Board Vice President for Medical and Dental Administration
Kathryn Helmke said the proposed plan amendment brings the board
policy clearly in line with the church#s position. #There may be other
morally responsible abortions, but the board is not able to delineate those
and won#t cover them,# she noted. She added that coverage or
non-coverage is not a moral judgment call, just as the policy of not
covering wellness or exercise programs does not mean these services
are morally wrong.
The ELCA Board of Pensions administers pension, health,
disability and survivor benefits for about 15,000 pastors, associates in
ministry and lay workers employed by 11,000 ELCA congregations and
other organizations worldwide, as well as for almost 10,500 retirees and
surviving spouses.
##########
June 6, 1995
TELECONFERENCE FOCUSES ON FUTURE
95-14-048-AH
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Focusing on the Future," a nationwide
video-teleconference on the future of leadership in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, drew about 3,000 participants to 70 sites
May 21. Organized by pastors of some of the ELCA's largest
congregations, the four-hour "town meeting" sought to examine the
position of the ELCA in American religion and to identify characteristics
for the church's next bishop.
Discussions aside from the satellite-broadcast program generated
the names of 33 possible nominees for bishop, including the presidents
of colleges and seminaries, churchwide staff, synodical bishops and
parish pastors. ELCA Bishop Herbert W. Chilstrom's term ends in
October, and he will not seek re-election at the Churchwide Assembly in
August in Minneapolis.
Church growth specialist Lyle Schaller, Naperville, Ill., contrasted
churches of the "European tradition" such as the ELCA with
non-denominational "made in America" churches. He cited language,
tradition and style as barriers to gaining younger members. A church the
size of the ELCA, with 5.2 million members, should be starting 300
congregations each year, Schaller said, instead of 30.
Strongly advocating change, Schaller urged the church to adopt
"a common vision of a new, bi-generational future." He said the ELCA's
new bishop should be "completely in accord with this desire for change."
Schaller recommended that the ELCA reduce the number of its 65
geographical synods to about 8 to 15.
ELCA participants did not take the bait. Asked the question "What
is the heart and soul of the ELCA?" they listed the attributes of life in a
Lutheran congregation of almost any era: the good news of the Gospel,
youth ministry, diversity of members, "the priesthood of all believers,"
prayer and scripture, "strength of tradition," confessional roots, musical
richness, "a solid structure" and doctrinal grounding.
Participants responded to two other questions: "What is your
vision for the ELCA?" and "What qualities do we need for leadership?"
They applied the latter question to the election of a bishop and
generated a long list of desired qualities including parish experience,
ecumenical understanding, listener, risk-taker, biblically passionate, team
builder, strong personal faith, teacher and communicator.
A caller from Forest City, Iowa, said the new bishop should "listen
to grass-roots folks so they feel they are being heard."
From Warren, Mich., came the comment, "A number of people
have asked for a risk-taker. If that is what we want, we have to be
more trusting and allow the bishop the freedom to be a risk-taker. We
have not been very good at that."
In DeKalb, Ill., a caller said the new bishop should be "gutsy and
able to handle stress" ... should "walk with God but doesn't have to walk
on water."
Shellene Johnson, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi,
Minn., called the event "fabulous, positive and upbeat. Even though
people were far apart they felt the wholeness of our church together --
our closeness." Johnson staffed the event.
The Rev. Roger C. Eigenfeld, conference organizer from St.
Andrew's, Mahtomedi, told viewers the production cost $100,000. He
said $50,000 has been raised to date from ELCA congregations and
individuals.
Editors: To receive a list of the 33 names generated by
participants in the teleconference, contact Brenda Williams,
312/380-2963.
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