Title: ELCA Assembly Proposes a Social Statement on Health Care
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 21, 1999
ELCA ASSEMBLY PROPOSES A SOCIAL STATEMENT ON HEALTH CARE
99-CWA-46-MR
DENVER (ELCA) -- The 1999 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) approved the development of a social
statement on health and ethical challenges of health care Aug. 20. The
social statement will be considered by the 2003 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 16-22 at the Colorado Convention Center.
There are more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,038 voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Hope for a New Century."
"More than 43 million individuals do not have health care
insurance and the number is rising," said the Rev. Ronald W. Duty,
assistant director for studies, ELCA Division for Church in Society.
"The lives and health of people are precious in the sight of God." Duty
presented the proposal to the assembly.
There are four components to the proposed social statement on
health and ethical challenges of health care, said Duty. The first is
what health and health care means to the church from a biblical,
theological perspective. The second, Duty said, is to address the
access to and equity of health care. Third, the ELCA needs to take a
fresh look at the relationship between the church and its related health
care institutions. The fourth component is to discern the role of
congregational health care, he said.
"I am proud to be a member of a church that cares about the
wholeness of a believer's life -- the spiritual, mental and physical
parts of a being," said John Prabhaker, voting member from the ELCA
Northern Illinois Synod, Rockford, Ill. Prabhaker is a physician.
The ELCA Division for Church in Society (DCS) recommends topics
for social statement development to the ELCA Church Council and the
churchwide assembly for approval. The council and assembly may adopt,
modify or reject the recommendations of the DCS board.
The DCS board has a working group on health and health care to
begin a process of study on the topic. The working group will become
the division's task force mandated to develop a social statement for
consideration over the next four years.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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