News
By the staff of The Lutheran, ELCA News Service and Religion News Service
Church Council approves genetics proposal T
he ELCA Church Council approved a proposed genetics social statement, a review pro-
cess for future social statements, a malaria campaign, and the church’s relationship with the African Method- ist Episcopal Zion Church during its April 9-10 meeting in Chicago. With some minor revisions, the
council recommended 2011 Church- wide Assembly approval of “Genet- ics, Faith and Responsibility” and its implementing resolutions. After the assembly considers the genetics proposal, the council will ask it to authorize—in consultation with the ELCA Conference of Bishops and the Communal Discernment Task Force—a review process of “current procedures for the development and adoption of ELCA social statements.” The council’s request came in
response to a recommendation from the Living into the Future Together task force. Since January 2010, LIFT has studied the ELCA’s struc- ture, relationships, and social and economic changes, with input from ELCA members, congregations, syn- ods and institutions. Diane Pederson, LIFT chair, said the task force believes a review pro- cess is necessary to nurture a larger “culture of discernment.” A LIFT report says the Communal Discern- ment Task Force “seeks better ways to engage emotional and divisive issues, and make difficult decisions in this church by means that increase mutual trust, build respect for each other as the body of Christ and deepen spiri- tual discernment.”
After much discussion of other
LIFT proposals, including one to have every ELCA congregation work with their synod’s director for evangelical mission to draw up a mission plan, the council tapped a writing team to work
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Grants reduced Due to declining mission support from synods, 2012 churchwide grants were reduced by $2.3 mil- lion. Mission support for 2010
on revising and finalizing the LIFT report and recommendations for consideration by the Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 15-19, in Orlando, Fla. At presstime, the council was to consider those revisions during a May 23 conference call.
$15 million by 2015 The council asked the assembly to launch the ELCA Malaria Cam- paign under ELCA World Hunger to raise $15 million by 2015 for work with “companion churches in Africa to contain deaths related to malaria.” It asked that the four- year campaign complement efforts to grow the World Hunger appeal beyond its own annual goals. When some council members expressed concern about raising $15 million during difficult eco- nomic times, Northeastern Ohio Synod Bishop Elizabeth Eaton observed that, after doing the math, the synod decided to “stick to our original goal of raising $250,000, which is $3 a year per attendee. We’re ready to go.”
The council recommended that the Churchwide Assembly approve a 2012 churchwide cur- rent fund spending authorization of $61,792,900 and expected World Hunger income of $18.5 million; and a 2013 current fund spending authorization of $61,939,400 with expected World Hunger income of $18.5 million. It also asked the assembly for consent to revise spending authorizations after peri- odic review of income estimates.
was $52.6 million (79 percent of the churchwide budget), down $7 million from the previous year, said Christina Jackson-Skelton, ELCA treasurer. Cuts included $700,000 in congre-
gational grants, $100,000 in Lutheran World Federation grants, and some logistical funds available to synods for directors for evangelical mission. A $414,000 reduction in grants to campus ministries reflects “conversa- tions that have been going on for some time with synod bishops about the way we do campus ministry and what we’ll do differently,” said Wyvetta Bullock, ELCA executive for admin- istration. Seminary grants were cut by about 10 percent, she added. Grants to Lutheran Services in
America and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service will become part of World Hunger fundraising goals, Bullock said.
For the record
As of May 5, the ELCA Office of the Secretary reported that 794 congregations have taken a total of 851 first votes to leave the ELCA. Of those 851 first votes, 598 passed and 253 failed. It said 497 second votes have been taken, a requirement to cut ties with the denomination. Of those, 472 sec- ond votes passed and 25 failed. Of those congregations in which a second vote has passed, 449 have completed the termination process and are no longer on the roster of congregations of the ELCA. Most of the votes came in reaction to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly’s actions on sexuality.
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