wfn.org | ELCA Reviews its Ministries among Persons with Disabilities

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 18, 1998

ELCA REVIEWS ITS MINISTRIES AMONG PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
98-CC2-16-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
has taken a close look at the various facets of its ministries among
persons with disabilities.  The ELCA Church Council approved "The Final
Report of the Comprehensive Study of Ministry With and Among Persons Who
Are Deaf and Persons with Disabilities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America" and its recommendations.
     The council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the
legislative authority of the church between meetings of the ELCA's
Churchwide Assembly.  The council met here Nov. 13-16.  Assemblies are
held every other year; the next is August 16-22, 1999, in Denver.
     The 72-page report included recommendations for the work of the
ELCA's Division for Church in Society, such as hiring a full-time director
for disability ministries, ensuring that Christian education materials are
inclusive of persons with disabilities and training church leaders in
inclusive ministry "as an holistic approach to mission."
     Laura Lundsgaard, ELCA coordinator for social justice education, put
the report together for the Division for Church in Society.  She said the
division's board raised questions about the report's name.  Why "persons
with disabilities" and why are they separate from "persons who are deaf?"
     "Persons with disabilities" is preferred, so people are identified
as "persons" first and not defined by their disabilities, said Lundsgaard. 
"Persons who are deaf" do not consider themselves to have a disability,
she said.  "Culturally deaf people use American Sign Language to
communicate rather than English or some other language."
     The report was prompted by a number of requests:
+ Sunshine B. Keiser of the ELCA's Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod asked
for representation of persons with disabilities on church boards and
commissions;
+ Jeffrey L. Kane of the ELCA's New England Synod asked that the church
look into the possibility of establishing a commission for persons with
disabilities;
+ the ELCA's Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod passed a resolution on
protecting the rights of persons with disabilities; and
+ the ELCA's Metropolitan New York, Southeastern Minnesota and Virginia
Synods sent resolutions to the 1997 Churchwide Assembly asking that the
deaf community be recognized as a unique culture.
     The Church Council action will transmit the report to the sources of
those requests and as information to the 1999 Churchwide Assembly.

For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director (773) 380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html