Only three months away! We look forward to seeing you at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Pittsburgh, August 12-18. Keep your eye on this blog post for information as we prepare for the event over the summer.  Tune-in during the Assembly for up-to-the-minute reports about what’s happening during plenary sessions.

Thanks for tuning in!

ELCA Presiding Bishop also acknowledged the service of six synod bishop who, since the last Churchwide Assembly, have retired, resigned or completed — or soon will complete — their terms in office. Hanson also named those synod bishops elected.

“As a church, with churches, we are rolling back malaria and addressing HIV and AIDS,” he said. “We are helping communities deal with climate change, mitigate future disasters through long-term agricultural and water interventions that help them lessen the impact of both floods and droughts.”

“The work we do together is global. But the results of that engagement is local, and is seen in the lives of individuals and the promise that they claim for themselves,” said Malpica Padilla.

The Rev. Dan Rift, director of the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal, said that “almost everything we do as ELCA World Hunger is built upon the presence of the church and its ministries; a presence that already exists in communities around this country and around the world. That speaks to the efficiency of our efforts. Not only the efficiency, but also the effectiveness, because we’re not guessing what is needed or how to work in communities as diverse as those from Des Moines to Dakah – we already have experts with whom we are journeying, those from the local communities.”

In 2010, 94 percent of the support for ELCA World Hunger came from congregations and individual donors, almost all of whom are members of ELCA congregations. Together these gifts provided $18.3 million to help those who are hungry, address the root causes of hunger and encourage the church to act in the face of hunger.

“This is work that compliments the work of the church through shared mission support, but stand uniquely as work that is focused exclusively on hunger,” said Dan. “In addition to the good work to address hunger, ELCA World Hunger provides the foundation for additional special work supported by gifts to the ELCA Malaria Campaign and ELCA Disaster Response.”

This year the goal for ELCA World Hunger is $18.5 million. Dan said that with the stress in the economy and the level of disaster response in synods this year, it will not be easy. “And yet, we see this challenge as well with eyes of faith.” 

Dan asked participants of the assembly to stand up if they were willing to go home and encourage congregations to support ELCA World Hunger. “We are a people mobilized by action,” he said.

+ Eva Roby, president of the ELCA Mission Investment Fund

+ Jeffrey Thiemann, president and CEO of the ELCA Broad of Pensions

+ Linda Norman, ELCA treasurer

They received a gift of a pendant, handmade by the boys at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys inHaiti.

“The pendants serve as a reminder to all of us of the work we are supporting as these ‘people of the resurrection’ rebuild their lives and their communities,” said ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson.

+ With an 870-61 vote, the assembly received with gratitude the memorial of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod in support of immigration reform and the DREAM Act (The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act), which would provide a path for citizenship for undocumented high school graduates; affirmed the commitment of the ELCA and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to support comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act; requested that the presiding bishop of this church communicate to the president and members of Congress the support of the ELCA for comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act; and encouraged all ELCA synods, congregations, and members to add their voices in support of comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act.

+ With an 868-73 vote, the assembly received with gratitude the memorials of the Northeastern Pennsylvania, Lower Susquehanna, and Metropolitan Washington, D.C., synods related to investment for positive change in Palestine, and encouraged members, congregations, synods and agencies of this church to seek ways to achieve a deeper understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; affirm this church’s commitment to non-violent responses to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and, consider making positive economic investments in those Palestinian projects and business that peacefully strengthen the economic and social fabric of Palestinian society. In the same action, the assembly commended the policy, “ELCA Economic Social Criteria Investment Screens” to the members, congregations, synods and agencies of this church, and to decline to undertake a review of the investment of funds managed within the ELCA but to commend these recommendations to the Office of the Treasurer, the Office of the Secretary, the Congregational and Synodical Mission unit, the Mission Advancement unit, and the ELCA Board of Pensions for consideration. 

+ With a 990-19 vote, the assembly received with gratitude the memorial of the Western North Dakota Synod calling on the 2011 Churchwide Assembly to recognize and celebrate the central role of farmers and ranchers in providing an abundant supply of food and fiber for our nation and the world. In the same action, the assembly acknowledge the central importance of the vocation of agriculture for rural communities and the economic life of our nation as a whole, and the assembly affirmed that the ELCA, in its social policies, recognizes and supports not only the vital role of farmers and ranchers in caring for the land and providing daily bread, but also their stewardship of creation through responsible use of science and technology.

+ With a 761-112 vote, the assembly recommended that the expansion of support for pastors be cared for by referral to the Congregational and Synodical Mission unit of the churchwide organization. The recommendation references LIFT Resolution #2.

+ With a 763-92 vote, the assembly amended LIFT recommendation #5 to read: to initiate collaborative work by congregations, synods, the churchwide organization [institutions of the church], and others to create and support diverse non-legislative forums and events that bring together leaders of this church to address missional issues, participate in theological study and reflection, foster leadership development, and enhance the interdependence of this church.

+ With a 894-22 vote, the assembly provided a means to continue the work assigned to the task force on Living into the Future Together: Renewing the Ecology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (LIFT), the 2011 Churchwide Assembly directs that the Office of the Presiding Bishop, in collaboration with the Church Council and the Conference of Bishops, do the following:

1. To facilitate review of the constitutional responsibilities of synods in order that synods continue and increase their roles as catalysts for missional planning;

2. To facilitate a broad-based process addressing legislative decision-making in this church;

3. To initiate a process to expand the consultative role of the Conference of Bishops that allows the Church Council to refer issues to it and the Conference of Bishops to make recommendations to the Church Council;

4. To explore the use of social media and technology in order to allow greater participation of ELCA members in meetings of the Church Council and the Churchwide Assembly;

5. To initiate collaborative work by congregations, synods, the churchwide organization, and others to create and support diverse non-legislative forums and events that bring together leaders of this church to address missional issues, participate in theological study and reflection, foster leadership development, and enhance the interdependence of this church;

6. To request units of the churchwide organization to propose to the Church Council ways of receiving grassroots input on and disseminating information about their work through the use of emerging forms of communication, taking care to include those engaged in multicultural, ethnic-specific, justice for women ministries, youth and young adult networks, and various ministry partners; and

7. To request that annual reports related to this work be presented to the Church Council through 2013.

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is the ELCA’s newest ecumenical partner.

“This has been a marvelous occasion for me, and I feel very much at home in a deliberate setting as I have been here today. The experience has been phenomenal,” Bishop Walker told the assembly. 

“I do want to thank you for this invitation,” he said. “I want to thank Bishop Hanson for the very cordial way he has received me on several occasions. My presence here today is indicative of the very warm relationship established through the fellowship of myself and Bishop Leonard Bolick of the ELCA North Carolina Synod.”

“We share with you this mission statement, crafted by both churches, which signifies our mutual commitment … and strengthens our witness,” said Bishop Walker. The ELCA and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church ”are called to the ministry of reconciliation as brothers and sisters in Christ. This calling is shared in trust by all Christians who profess an abiding faith in our risen Lord,” he said.

“We believe it’s time for both churches to come together … to become more effective in sharing God’s vision throughout the world. As we listen and speak our stories of faith, we believe we can create better relationships … to identify the tapestry of God’s vision in our communities of faith,” he said.

“It is in this spirit that I am pleased to greet you today in your Churchwide Assembly and congratulate you in your passion and tenacious stand as you grapple with many of the major issues of our society. May God continue to bless you,” said Bishop Walker.

At the conclusion of his greeting, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly offered a standing ovation.