wfn.org | ELCA Develops New Evangelism Strategy for the next Decade

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 4, 2000

ELCA DEVELOPS NEW EVANGELISM STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT DECADE
00-124-MR

     MUNDELEIN, Ill. (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) is committed to spreading the "good news of Jesus Christ"
around the world, especially in the next decade.  About 70 participants
gathered to recommend an approach to evangelism, mission and outreach at
the ELCA's Evangelism Strategic Planning Consultation held April 24-25
here at the University of St. Mary of the Lake.
     "Our hope is to develop a new strategy that will allow ELCA
congregations, synods and others in the church to share the good news of
Jesus Christ across the land," said the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock,
executive director, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries,
Chicago.
     The goals of the consultation were to analyze the current context
for evangelism in the United States and around the world; explore a
biblical vision for approaching evangelism for the next decade; suggest
concrete recommendations for a new evangelism strategy; and worship and
prayer.
     The ELCA working definition of evangelism is the "activity of the
individual Christian and of the church to share with other people the
good news of God's love, grace and power as revealed in Jesus Christ so
that these others may be drawn into the community of Jesus to share a
new life with and from God."
     Clergy, lay individuals, seminarians, professors, members of ELCA-related 
nstitutions, ecumenical partners, staff of the churchwide
office and of the ELCA's 65 synods gathered in small groups to carry out
the goals of the consultation.  They received four presentations on
evangelism from domestic and global perspectives and participated in a
panel discussion.
     "We are thinking of evangelism in a much more complex context.
Evangelism is no longer invitational," said the Rev. Ana Langerak,
director for churches in mission, World Council of Churches, Geneva,
Switzerland.
     "Diversity and plurality of God's creation is a gift from God, but
it is not being realized worldwide.  One group dominates and others are
being oppressed, but God is breaking through," Langerak told
participants.
     "The population in the United States will grow older and
diversify," said Dr. Kenneth W. Inskeep, director, ELCA Department for
Research and Evaluation, Chicago.  Inskeep provided information on
population trends in the United States and Caribbean.
     "Diversity in the United States does not just exist in age and
ethnicity.  Income, education, tastes and ethical perspectives are
changing and should matter to the church.  Diversity is God's gift to
us," Inskeep said.
     Inskeep noted that people of Hispanic origin will be a significant
component of the United States' growing population.  "Immigrants,
including the native-born children of immigrants, will be a major
component of the population growth."
     In the United States by 2025, it is predicted that the West will
grow faster, but the South will add the most residents, Inskeep said.
The Midwest and Northeast will grow modestly.  "The growth rate in the
ELCA has never reflected the population growth in the United States
since World War II.  German, Norwegian and Swedish immigrants joined the
church after World War II, but since then the ELCA has never seriously
engaged in society," he said.
     "What is the heart of the ELCA?  What does the church have to
offer the U.S. society?  Whatever it is, we cannot keep it to
ourselves," Inskeep said.
     Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, director, World Young Women's Christian
Association, Geneva, Switzerland, led a presentation about ministry in
the global setting.
     "How do we continue to preach the gospel of unity in the midst of
global diversity?  This is an issue that surfaces when doing ministry in
an international setting," said Kanyoro.
     "What is it about your faith than can help people?  Do not be
afraid to address this question in secular relationships.  It does not
make sense to sacrifice your own faith when communicating with someone
else of a different faith.  You must be secure in your own faith.
Multi-faith dialogues must begin with sincere and genuine conversation,"
Kanyoro told participants.
     Kanyoro expressed trouble in understanding "multicultural
ministry" in the United States.  "You have an inability to live
sufficiently with others.  There should be an integration of ethnic-specific 
ministries.  Ethnic-specific ministries at the congregational
level exist independently.  You must live and struggle together and sing
the same song.  Bring diversity to the table and celebrate it together.
We need to talk about the joy of being Lutheran, because we are now in a
position to talk about faith," she said.
     In a presentation called "God's Call to Mission," Dr. Craig Van
Gelder said, "Evangelism is to live out what God has already made us to be.  
It is not so much doing but being.  The doing must come out of the being."
Van Gelder is professor of congregational mission at Luther Seminary,
St. Paul, Minn.
     "There is a gospel that makes a difference in the world.  We must
bring it to focus," Van Gelder said.  "The church is a communion of
saints.  We share in common with what is already in Christ.  We are a
communal and missional church; it's all about people in relationships
engaging in mission."
     Throughout the consultation participants gathered in small groups
to recommend a vision and direction for the church's evangelism, mission
and outreach efforts.  Inskeep, Kanyoro, Langerak and Van Gelder
reflected on the work of small groups in a panel discussion.
     "What does it mean to be distinctively Christian in a post-modern
world?  The Lutheran Church is in search of a soul.  Does the church
know its identity?" Van Gelder said.
     "The global mission enterprise has taught us that when mission is
guided by indigenous leadership the mission grows and multiples," the
Rev. Ruben F. Duran said during the discussion.  Duran is executive for
congregational outreach services, ELCA Division for Outreach, Chicago.
     "The United States is a social experiment.  In the United States
and Caribbean we have not reached the point of mission growth.  There
are still policies and procedures, structures and institutional methods
that do not facilitate the work of indigenous leaders in all expressions
of the church.  What will it take for the ELCA's dominant culture group
to trust the people of color to have the freedom to create adequate
mechanisms to multiply mission in this growing, culturally diverse
society?" asked Duran.
     "A Telling Witness of God's Good News" is the ELCA's current
strategy on evangelism.  Adopted by the 1991 ELCA Churchwide Assembly,
the strategy resolved to encourage each congregation to examine its own
ministry of hospitality, review the opportunities for sharing "God's
good news" with people in "its unique setting," and develop ways to
meet, engage, witness to and invite people to "faith in Jesus Christ."
     Other goals of the strategy included to establish 50 new
congregations a year and to have at least 10 percent of the ELCA's
membership be people of color or whose primary language is not English.
     At their meetings last fall, boards of the ELCA's Division for
Congregational Ministries, Division for Global Mission, and Division for
Outreach asked that staff work with the ELCA Department for
Communication and other units of the church to recommend strategies for
evangelism and outreach for the next decade.
     Staff prepared interim reports to Spring 2000 board meetings, and
a final report to boards will be developed for Fall 2000. The ELCA's
Church Council will review the development process and receive the
board's actions as information.
     In Spring 2001, a final version of the new evangelism strategy
will be distributed to churchwide boards and the ELCA Conference of
Bishops.  The ELCA Church Council will take action on sending the
strategy to the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
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