wfn.org | ELCA Board Affirms Principles for Outreach to Unchurched

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 7, 2002

ELCA BOARD AFFIRMS PRINCIPLES FOR OUTREACH TO UNCHURCHED
02-042-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of the Division for Outreach of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) affirmed five principles
for the ELCA's outreach to the unchurched.  Chair Dorothy Baumgartner
said board members received a paper, "a work in progress," which offers
"a fresh model for leading the church in the important work of
outreach."  The board met here March 1-3.
     The division began working on its paper, "Leadership for Outreach
with the Gospel," last fall, said Baumgartner.  It's been the subject of
regional consultations across the United States and Caribbean.
Baumgartner is chief administrative officer for Trinity Lutheran
College, Issaquah, Wash.
     Baumgartner said the paper received a wide range of responses --
"from significant concerns to some great joy" -- at the consultations.
Those reactions "helped shape the thinking behind the five principles,
which we think will be very useful for the division and for the church,"
she said.
     According to the principles, the Division for Outreach:
 + will support and encourage reaching out to the unchurched
 + is committed to multiplying the human resources involved in outreach,
encouraging mission directors to enlist, equip, empower, coach and
mentor individuals who can share their gifts for ministry, and moving
from "doing" to "leading" outreach
 + will assist all church staff to identify and further develop gifts
and assets for the ministries of starting new and renewing existing
congregations
 + will seek to work with synods to develop the human resources
available to start new and renew existing congregations in ways most
appropriate to the context of the synods
 + is committed to a diverse workforce and to follow the lead of members
of the five ethnic communities in planning, carrying out and evaluating
the division's work
     The ELCA's five ethnic communities are African American/Black,
Asian, Latino, Arab and Middle Eastern, and American Indian/Alaska
Native people.  The church's 10,816 congregations are organized into 65
synods.
     The principles "represent a shift in orientation about how we are
approaching the work of the division," said Baumgartner.  While focusing
the outreach of the ELCA on the unchurched, "we are looking for ways to
maximize the effectiveness of the resources of the division," she said.
     "We recognize, as a church, that outreach and evangelism happen
more effectively at the congregation," said Baumgartner.  Rather than
trying to manage all ELCA outreach from central offices in Chicago, the
division will strive to provide people in congregations with the
training, resources and networks they need, she said.
     Surveys show that 25 to 75 percent of people in any U.S. community
are unchurched, said the Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive director,
ELCA Division for Outreach, "so the potential is definitely there for
outreach with the gospel."
     The Rev. David Poling-Goldenne, director for discipleship, ELCA
Division for Congregational Ministries, reported on the church's
formation of a 33-member "blue ribbon" task force to develop a
comprehensive strategy on evangelism.  That task force holds its first
meeting next month in Chicago.
     Board members discussed with Poling-Goldenne the ELCA's
definitions of "outreach" and "evangelism."  "I use the two words
interchangeably," he said.  Much of the discussion focused on ways the
work of the task force relates to the principles and work of the
division.
     Three ELCA boards will review a first draft of the task force's
work this fall, said Poling-Goldenne.  The Divisions for Congregational
Ministries, Global Mission and Outreach are involved in developing
strategies on evangelism, he said, as well as the ELCA Conference of
Bishops and ELCA Church Council.

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