Title: ELCA Assembly Welcomes World, National Council of Churches
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 21, 1999

ELCA ASSEMBLY RECEIVES WELCOME FROM WORLD, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
99-CWA-44-LS

     DENVER (ELCA) -- Representatives from the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A. (NCC) greeted participants of the 1999 Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly.  The ELCA is a member of
both organizations.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here at the Colorado Convention Center, Aug. 16-22.
There are more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,038 ELCA
voting members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ
Known: Hope for a New Century."
     "WYP, We are Your Partner," said Kathy J. Magnus, member of the
WCC central committee.  Magnus is also associate director for
international personnel, ELCA Division for Global Mission.
     "We are your partner in prayer, action and dialogue," Magnus said.
She cited areas where the WCC is working throughout the world as part of
Action for Churches Together (ACT) -- the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Kosovo, Sudan and Turkey.
     "The WCC encourages biblical and theological reflection and
articulation to promote a culture of solidarity," Magnus said.
     Video greetings came from the Rev. Konrad Reiser, general
secretary, WCC.  Reiser thanked the ELCA for touching on "concerns at
the heart of our ecumenical calling" for movement "toward visible unity
in churches of Christ," by approving full communion with the Moravian
Church in America and The Episcopal Church.
     "The ELCA is an active and committed member of this fellowship,"
said Reiser of the ELCA involvement in WCC.
     Reiser said the WCC was preparing for a meeting of the central
committee to be held in Geneva Aug. 26-Sept. 3. More than 150 Protestant
and Orthodox delegates representing the 336 member churches will attend
the meeting.
     The WCC is an international Christian organization that promotes
ecumenical collaboration, founded on Jesus' prayer for unity.
     Dr. Staccato Powell, deputy secretary for national ministries,
brought greetings on behalf of the NCC.
     "You have taken a bold step to manifest and personify your goal of
'making Christ known' for this assembly," he said.
     Powell called the passage of the full communion proposals a
"tremendous step," and he hoped other denominations would follow.
     The council is a national movement for Christian unity and has a
membership of 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches. This fall,
the council will celebrate it's 25th anniversary in Cleveland, where the
organization was founded.




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