wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Hears How Congregations Talk on Tough Issues

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 10, 2001

ELCA ASSEMBLY HEARS HOW CONGREGATIONS TALK ON TOUGH ISSUES
01-CWA29-LS

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Church members are learning to discuss
contentious issues, said the Rev. Charles Miller, director of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Church in
Society. Miller presented progress on an ELCA initiative on witnessing
to the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  There
are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     Miller told assembly participants about progress on the initiative
"Witness to God's Action in the World: Moral Deliberation and Public
Witness." Final reports on each of the seven initiatives, launched by
the ELCA in 1997, are being presented at this assembly.
     Moral deliberation is a challenge for the church, Miller said.
"Can the church witness to the world by the manner in which it talks
about conflictive issues in non-conflictive ways?" he said.
     In response to the initiative, the Division for Church in Society
(DCS) staff created a congregational deliberation guide and moral
deliberation training. Video resources and print resources are
available, including "Talking Together as Christians About Tough Social
Issues," launched in 1999. A training event on moral deliberation was
held in 2000.
     Community renewal is the second aspect of this initiative. Three
agencies received grants to do community renewal in Colton, Ore., Los
Angeles and Chicago. The community agencies provided a variety of social
and health care services.
     Miller said the results were "exhilarating." Organizers learned
programming works "if there are community participants and persistent
leaders locally," he said.
-- -- --
     Information about assembly actions is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site. Recorded updates
during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html