News
LCMS ends military work with ELCA B
eginning in 2012, the 2.3- million member Lutheran Church– Missouri Synod will end 70 years of cooperation with the 4.2 -million member ELCA and its pre- decessor churches in training military chaplains. The LCMS will evaluate other joint work on a case-by-case basis, according to a July 13 memo from LCMS Praesidium Secretary Herbert C. Mueller. “Today, like two ships at sea sail- ing apart on different compass head- ings, the ELCA and the LCMS have lost sight of each other,” wrote LCMS President Matthew Harrison in a July 18 announcement to the church. “Doctrinal differences and tensions have been exacerbated by the posi- tion of the ELCA on same-sex unions and the imminent repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ ”
Harrison said LCMS chaplains would provide word and sacrament ministry to Lutherans in uniform “on a case-by-case basis.” Mueller wrote that the LCMS Prae- sidium endorsed a 15-page document with criteria for continuing coopera- tion with the ELCA through Lutheran Services in America, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Immigration and
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meet with Christian leaders, includ- ing ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson. The leaders presented a statement called “A Circle of Protec- tion,” in which they articulated the need for the president and Congress to avoid cutting programs that protect the poor both in the U.S. and globally. The statement urged approaches that help share the sacrifices necessary to eliminate the nation’s deficit.
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10 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
New evangelism code Representing about 90 percent of world Christianity, the World Council of Churches, the World Evangelical Alliance and the Pontifical Coun- cil for the Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See issued a global code of conduct for proselytizing. “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct” says Christians must witness to their faith but not impose it. “We need to present the Christian message by the Christian attitude of mutual respect
Refugee Service, and Lutheran Disas- ter Response. The document states LCMS opposition to “adoption by homosexuals,” staff with an “openly unrepentantly sinful” lifestyle, and being seen as giving “tacit approval to women’s ordination.” The ELCA is “deeply concerned”
that shared ELCA-LCMS ministries of care “may be challenged by the recent [LCMS] report,” said Donald McCoid, executive for ecumenical and interreligious relations within the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop. “The ELCA believes our focus
must always be on those who have significant needs, such as those living in poverty, those affected by disease, and those who are seeking a home both in our country and throughout the world. We are committed to this work—God’s work,” he said. Lutheran Services in America,
a $16.5 billion network of 309 organizations, includes 200 solely ELCA-affiliated agencies with a combined $14.1 billion in income, and 77 ELCA-affiliated and LCMS- recognized groups with $2.1 billion in income.
Elizabeth Hunter Hunter is an associate editor of The Lutheran.
for every human being,” said WCC General Secretary Olav Fykse Tveit, a Lutheran pastor. Read the code at
www.oikoumene.org.
$47,000 puts pastor on roof A cool breeze kept Kathy Hartley, a pas- tor of Peace Lutheran, New London, Minn., cool in July as she perched atop the church roof (about 140 feet high). After the church received $23,500 for roof repairs from a member’s estate, Hartley told parishioners she would spend 24 hours on the roof if they matched that gift. For a $25 donation, members could also spend an hour on the roof with their pastor. Hartley told the West Central Tribune that it’s hard to get excited about raising money for shingles and thought her promise would put a little fun into the project.
Campus Crusade now ‘Cru’
Campus Crusade for Christ is out. “Cru” is in. The 60-year-old evan- gelical ministry announced its new name at a July conference. “We’ve been having issues with two words in the name—campus and crusade,” said Steve Sellers, a vice president of the Orlando, Fla.-based organiza- tion. When it was founded in 1951, “crusade” typically referred to the large, stadium events held by evange- lists like Billy Graham. “Cru enables us to have discussions about Christ with people who might initially be turned off by a more overtly Chris- tian name,” according to the group’s website.
Mormons hope less means more Wanting to encourage more seniors to become Mormon missionaries overseas, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is requiring less time in the field. Such missionaries were previously required to serve at least 18 months but were declining in numbers. As of September, retirees can serve as little as six months.
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