Fact check 1988
2011
who came from Europe. I just don’t see those European things empha- sized much anymore.” But Walenta-Gorvie feels strongly about the value of the theo- logical heritage of Lutheranism. “Our theology is so rich, it deserves to be proclaimed,” she said. Walenta-Gorvie grew up in a “non-Lutheran” culture, surrounded by Baptists, some of whom won- dered whether Lutherans were Christian. “I get excited about the ways to proclaim a distinctively Lutheran witness,” she said. Most of her life has been in the ELCA, including her college and seminary training. What we “were” in previous generations is less important than what we can be today, she said.
Pastors at the front end of their
careers are accus- tomed to change, she said, and “know there will be more changes.”
Total mission support by congregations as a percent of regular
giving by congregations 10.46% 5.83%
… in prepared ground Riley of New Jersey said young people like Walenta-Gorvie and those now reaching maturity fill him with hope. “The ELCA made a huge invest-
ment in youth in its early years,” he said, citing the hugely popular ELCA Youth Gatherings. “Clearly we are preparing the ground well. My best hope is the young leaders we are preparing for the future.” Making the hand-off to that new generation requires work, he said, adding, “We need to find ways to care for and maintain a church filled with the wisdom and commitment of long-
Fact check 1988
2011 Number of congregations 11,120 9,638
term members at the same time that we are creating our new leaders.” Crist said, “I’m looking forward
to starting more new ministries, and our full communion agreements and partnership with other denomina- tions will help us to do that.” The Montana bishop also sees an expanding emphasis on training lay leaders and keeping alert to new needs. Citing the biblical warn- ing about putting “new wine” into old wineskins, Crist said, “In 1988 we knew that we made new wine- skins.” Many congregations, oper- ate “unconsciously” out of their old ways, she added, and “we need to
Every three years, young people and adult leaders throughout the church are shaped by the ELCA Youth Gathering. In 1994, Marck Tiegel, then 17 and a member of Grace Lutheran Church, Palo Alto, Calif., graced the September cover of The Lutheran in its story on the Atlanta gathering attended by 35,000 youth and adults.
ROD RATCLIFFE
August 2013 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52