Title:  ELCA=27s Bishop Anderson to be featured on Odyssey Television =
Program
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 19, 1997

ANDERSON FEATURED ON =A1ODYSSEY=A2
97-27-079-MR

        CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of =
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will be featured on a live =
television program dedicated to ecumenism called, =22Celebration of Faith: =
 Hope for a New Century.=22  The one-hour program will air on the Odyssey =
channel Sunday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.  Odyssey is a 24-hour interfaith=
 cable television network.=20
        Anderson will report on significant actions of the ELCA Churchwide =
Assembly in Philadelphia, Aug. 14-20, 1997.  Viewers of the program will =
have the opportunity to call in and talk directly with Anderson about the =
assembly.  Demeteria Kalodimos, co-anchor of =22News Odyssey,=22 will host =
the program.
        =22I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to bring an =
interactive town meeting report of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly ... on =
Odyssey,=22 said Anderson.
        A video news release on the ELCA Churchwide Assembly will be =
featured on the program.  It will highlight ecumenical issues, the =
church=27s =22Initiatives for a New Century,=22 elections and guidelines =
for sacramental practice.  Voting members took action on three ecumenical =
issues.  They voted to declare =22full communion=22 with three churches of =
the Reformed tradition -- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed =
Church in America, and the United Church of Christ.  Members voted down =
full communion with The Episcopal Church but pledged to work toward a full =
communion relationship in 1999.  The assembly adopted a =22Joint Declaratio=
n on the Doctrine of Justification=22 between Lutherans and the Roman =
Catholic Church.
        =22Examples of ecumenical partnerships on a congregational =
level=22 will be featured on the program, said John L. Peterson, ELCA =
director for public media.  Three video presentations will illustrate how =
churches are =22living their ecumenical cooperation on a weekly and daily =
basis,=22 he said.  =22These congregations exemplify ecumenical cooperation=
 at the local level,=22 said Peterson.
        The three ministries noted for their ecumencial ventures include:
        Trinity Ecumenical Parish, Moneta, Va., a worshiping community =
made up one each of  ELCA, Episcopalian and Presbyterian congregations.  =
The congregations share the Rev. Gary Scheidt, a Presbyterian pastor.
        All Nations Indian Church, Minneapolis, a congregation of the =
United Church of Christ is served by the Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, =
an ELCA pastor.=20
        American Lutheran Church and Community Presbyterian Church, White =
Sulphur Springs, Mont., share an ELCA pastor, the Rev. Dean Sandberg.  The =
congregations worship together and alternate church buildings every three =
months.  Sandberg conducts an outreach ministry on behalf of both =
congregations.
        =22The purpose of =22Hope for a New Century=22 is to report =
actions taken at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly to the ecumenical community =
and to the general public,=22 said Peterson.
=22There are 64 different faith groups on Odyssey working together for one =
common purpose -- to explore their spiritual journey,=22 said Peterson.  =
=22Odyssey is a strong example of interfaith cooperation in the United =
States today,=22 he said.
        =22Odyssey exists to nurture the spiritual needs of viewers and =
congregations in order to build bridges of hope and understanding,=22 =
Anderson said.
        This project was funded by Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal =
benefits organization based in Minneapolis.

For information contact:=20
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS=40ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html