News
By the staff of The Lutheran, ELCA News Service and Religion News Service
Credit union to open The ELCA was granted a federal charter July 7 to create the ELCA Federal Credit Union. It will provide products and services to congrega- tional members as well as synod and churchwide organization employees. The credit union is expected to open in the first quarter of 2016, offering among other services: IRA/Keogh accounts, credit cards, auto loans, online banking and bill payment, and ATM access. The charter was granted through the Office of Consumer Pro- tection of the National Credit Union Administration, an independent fed- eral agency created by Congress to regulate, charter and supervise fed- eral credit unions.
Bishop comes out
Kevin Kanouse, bishop of the North- ern Texas-Northern Louisiana Mis- sion Area (synod), came out as gay at the ELCA Youth Gathering during a Bible study/reflection time with synod youth. “Several of our youth told their powerful stories of God at work in their lives. I was Holy Spirit- moved to tell my own story publicly for the first time,” Kanouse explained in a letter to church leaders in the days after the event. “I learned early on that I had to hide my true nature, especially because I wanted to be a pastor and serve in the church.” Kanouse had told his wife of 40 years prior to the public revelation; the two have said they will remain married.
UCC divestment move
In June, the 30th General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC) called for a boycott and divestment from companies that profit in Israeli
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www.thelutheran.org
Racial diversity by U.S. religious groups Seventh-day Adventist
Muslim
Jehovah’s Witnesses Buddhist
“Nothing in particular” Roman Catholic All U.S. adults
Assemblies of God
Church of God (Cleveland, Tenn.) Churches of Christ
American Baptist Churches USA Atheist
Agnostic
Presbyterian Church in America Orthodox Christian Anglican Church
Church of God in Christ
Southern Baptist Convention Mormon
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Church of the Nazarene Unitarian
United Church of Christ Jewish
Episcopal Church Hindu
United Methodist Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church 2 Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod ELCA
National Baptist Convention 4 2 94 94
95 96 99
The nation’s population is growing more racially and ethnically diverse—and so are many of its religious groups. However, an analysis of data from the 2014 Religious Landscape Study by the Pew Research Center also found that these levels of diversity vary widely within U.S. reli- gious groups. Its report, released in late July, identified five racial and ethnic groups: Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites, blacks, Asians and an umbrella category of other races and mixed-race Americans. (See “Editor notes,” page 4.)
occupation of Palestinian territo- ries. The UCC action followed in the footsteps of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which passed a similar reso- lution last year divesting from three multinational corporations, as well as a boycott by the United Methodist Church of all Israeli companies oper- ating in the occupied territories.
Webcast on racism
On Aug. 6, more than 1,882 viewers tuned in to a live webcast discussion
of racism hosted by ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton and Wil- liam B. Horne II, a member of the ELCA Church Council and of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Clearwater, Fla. Eaton and Horne had an on-camera conversation about the church’s efforts in defining and confronting racism, advancing racial justice and becoming multicultural. They also responded to questions sent in via email and social media. Find a recording of the web- cast and associated resources at www.
elca.org/webcast.
10 5
85 85 88 88 88 89 90 90
91
White 37% 38 36 44 64 59 66 66 65 69 73 78 79 80 81 83
Black 32% 28 27
3 3 3 2
3 5 3 3
6 33 12 5 5
Asian Other Latino 8% 8% 15% 28
Mix/ 3 4 32
8 12 15 34
12 4 4 15 25 28
16 3 4 8
10 5 11 3 7 2 10 3 4 4 9
84
6 3 5 6 8 3 2 6 12 4 4 8
6 5 3 5 8 5 3 4 2 3 7 7 4 8 4
2 2 2 4 4 3 2 2
22 3
2 2 2
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
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