Title: ELCA Lutherans Explore Ecumenical Shared
Congregations
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 23, 1997

LUTHERANS EXPLORE "ECUMENICAL SHARED
CONGREGATIONS"
97-30-086-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Formula of Agreement
approved at the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's
Churchwide Assembly this summer
presents a "unique and historical opportunity" for
the expansion of
mission outreach in the United States and
Caribbean, according to a
document called, "Ecumenical Shared
Congregations."  The board of the
ELCA's Division for Outreach approved the document
when it met here Oct.
10-12.
     The purpose of the document is to "outline
some principles that might
guide ecumenical shared congregations and suggest
policy and procedures
that could be used to maximize the expansion of
outreach."
     The Formula of Agreement with three churches
of the Reformed
tradition -- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the
Reformed Church in
America, and the United Church of Christ --
commits the churches to sharing
in their mission work and to develop procedures
whereby clergy in one
denomination may serve a church in another
denomination.
     The move to full communion "opens the door
for strategic planning for
outreach."  The area of "ecumenical work has been
given some new
opportunities through the passage of the Formula
of Agreement," said the
Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive director,
Division for Outreach.  In his
report to the board, Magnus said the document
explores how the "passage of
the ecumenical proposals" might affect the work of
the Division for
Outreach and how the division might "begin to
establish guidelines and
principles for broader ecumenical work."
     The vision of "Ecumenical Shared
Congregations" is "the desire to
live in unity and to minister in the community
knowing that ...
congregations can be more effective in their
ministry together than they
can be separately."
     Two or more congregations with different
denominational affiliations
served by one pastor is an example of ecumenical
shared congregations. The
congregations remain essentially independent
except for the shared clergy.
Churches sharing some areas of ministry, such as
youth work and care for
the aging, is another example of ecumenical work
at the congregational
level.
     "The strength of the document is that it
recognizes the diversity of
all the different ministries involved and attempts
to strengthen them,"
said Norman E. Briggs, board member, Chicago.  "It
is all new water for us
... and it is unique that we are discussing these
ecumenical ventures,"
said Briggs.
     "An ecumenical shared congregation is where
many different traditions
gather to worship together, sharing traditions
from different worship
services," said board member, Dora Johnson,
Washington, D.C.  "The document
is a courageous piece.  It is easy to talk about
ecumenism but when one
begins to put it down on paper, it is not an easy
process," she said.
     In other business, the board recommended that
the Division for
Outreach be designated as the lead unit in
carrying out two of the ELCA's
"Initiatives for a New Century."  The seven
initiatives are to be catalysts
for the ELCA to deepen worship life, teach the
faith, witness to God's
action in the world, strengthen one another in
mission, help the children,
connect with youth and young adults, and develop
leaders for the next
century.
     The division "eagerly offered" to take
responsibility for
implementing the initiative, "Witness to God's
Action in the World," to
"strengthen those skills that help congregations
'turn inside out' in
witness and service."  The division also voted to
support the Initiative,
"Develop Leaders for the Next Century," to
"encourage and support pastors
and lay leaders in their service in the church and
in their ministry in
daily life" and to "understand what leadership
will require in the 21st
century."
     At its May 1996 meeting, the board voted to
develop "outreach
strategies to gay and lesbian people, especially
in communities where there
are large populations of homosexual persons,
either with new ministries or
through existing ELCA congregations."  Susan
Thompson, ELCA director for
newly organized congregations, reported to the
board that a study team has
now been formed to assist the division.
     The study team will select six cities around
the country with
significant gay and lesbian communities.
Interview teams will meet with
leaders of congregations and gay and lesbian
congregational members to
discuss outreach options.  Following the visits,
the study team will
develop strategies for outreach for consideration
by the division board at
its May 1998 meeting.
     "When we're talking about gay and lesbian
individuals in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we're not
talking about strangers;
it is friends, cousins, parents, brother and
sisters.  This is foremost and
we should keep this in our minds," said Thompson.
     The Rev. Julius Carroll, Bethlehem Lutheran
Church, Oakland, Calif.,
was elected chairperson for the board.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or
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