ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 17, 2003 ELCA Assembly Declines Exception on Installation of Bishops 03-CWA-52-DM MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The 2003 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Aug. 16 declined to propose constitutional changes requested by two ELCA synods that would permit those seeking installation as bishops in the ELCA to do so without the participation of bishops in the "historic episcopate." Without debate, the assembly adopted the recommendations of the memorials committee on that and two other categories of memorials -- resolutions from the church's synods -- that were handled individually, as well as adopting with one action 26 categories of memorials "en bloc." The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines Center. There are about 2,100 people participating, including 1,031 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the World." Memorials submitted by the ELCA Minneapolis Area and South Dakota synods were adopted in response to the agreement that governs the full-communion relationship of the ELCA and the Episcopal Church. That agreement says that ELCA bishops "will be installed for pastoral service of the gospel with this church's intention to enter the ministry of the historic episcopate." Although the historic episcopate and the agreement with the Episcopal Church has generated considerable discussion in the ELCA in recent years, there was no discussion or debate before the 2003 Churchwide Assembly voted 850 to 79 to decline the constitutional-change proposals. The assembly did refer the two synod memorials "as information" to the ELCA Department for Ecumenical Affairs and to the Lutheran-Episcopal Coordinating Committee. Other recommendations adopted by the assembly without debate: + to "encourage all congregations and synods to engage all members, particularly voting members of synodical and churchwide assemblies, in learning, discussion, and discernment about pending decisions by this church, actions taken, and the reasons for this." The action responded to an ELCA Montana Synod concern that voting members represent the viewpoints of their respective congregations and synods. + it acknowledged its own earlier action retaining a constitutional reference to the ELCA Slovak Zion Synod -- the church's only non-geographical synod -- as its response to a memorial from that synod asking that the reference indeed be retained. -- -- -- Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found at http://www.elca/org/assembly/03 on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news