wfn.org | ELCA Policy to Stress Study Over Statements

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 17, 1997

ELCA POLICY TO STRESS STUDY OVER STATEMENTS
97-09-023-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In its first 10 years the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America has issued social statements on
abortion, the death penalty, the environment, peace, and racism.
The ELCA Division for Church in Society (DCS) that developed the
statements has drawn up policies saying the study leading up to a
statement is more important than the statement itself.
     The DCS board approved "Policies and Procedures of the ELCA
for Addressing Social Concerns," when it met here Feb. 27-March
1, and recommended that the ELCA Church Council approve the
policies at its meeting here April 3-7.
     "We've always assumed that one of the main goals was to
produce social statements," said Ingrid Christiansen, Chicago,
DCS board chair.  "The new document points out the importance of
study and consideration of ideas by people in this church without
necessarily these things going toward social statements."
     The first of four "spheres of activity" asks the ELCA Office
of the Bishop to appoint a team of people from various sectors of
the church.  That team would "plan and publicize" 10-year plans
of studies throughout the ELCA.
     The second sphere has the Division for Church in Society
formulate two-year programs "for the study of selected topics and
for the development of relevant resources -- people, networks,
materials."  This sphere would involve the ELCA's 5.2 million
members in "moral deliberation" on specific issues.
     The third sphere is the development of social policy in the
church.  The procedures outline steps from the selection of
topics for new social statements to the reconsideration of an
existing position.
     In the final sphere the Division for Church in Society
advocates the ELCA's social policies in public and corporate
settings.
     The policies and procedures emphasize moral deliberation,
and the decision to develop a social statement will come only
after the church has studied an issue, said Christiansen.  The
ELCA Church Council continues to have the option of issuing a
short message that clarifies the church's position on a timely
matter.
     "It's not a dramatic change," she said.  "It is a widening
and deepening of our sense of ourselves as a church that does
consider, study, dialogue and debate around social issues but
does not necessarily legislate around them."
     In related action the DCS board asked staff "to prepare a
study guide on gambling for congregational use as a sphere two
resource" and "to undertake an exploratory study of the critical
and emergent issues in the arena of health care."
     In 1996 the ELCA's Minneapolis Area Synod passed a
resolution asking for "a statement on gambling that expresses the
church's opposition to gambling" and educational materials
"regarding gambling's effect on moral values and its destructive
impact on the stewardship of money."
     Moral deliberation on gambling will be important, said
Christiansen, because "the issues are complicated and many-
layered."  Besides questions of addiction to gambling, Lutherans
can discuss "the rights of Native Americans to have gambling on
reservations as a way of producing income" and the fact that many
U.S. churches use gambling as a fundraising method.
     An exploratory study of health care issues will help the
ELCA decide "if it would like to undertake a major study of
health care in some way in the future," she said, noting that the
church has already addressed facets of health care, such as
genetic testing, end-of-life decisions and physician-assisted
suicide.
     "Lutherans are involved in health care," said Christiansen,
with hospitals and social service agencies across the United
States.  "Technology is advancing so quickly, it's a field where
questions of ethics are only becoming deeper and more complex."

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html