wfn.org | ELCA Council Hears Progress Report on Evangelism Strategy

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 26, 2002

ELCA COUNCIL HEARS PROGRESS REPORT ON EVANGELISM STRATEGY
02-278-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) received a first draft of "Toward a Vision for
Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Sharing Faith
in a New Century" and a progress report from the evangelism task force
chair, the Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop of the ELCA Northern
Illinois Synod, Rockford, Ill.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies.
The council met here Nov. 15-17.  Assemblies are held every other year;
the next is Aug. 11-17, 2003, in Milwaukee.
     The draft is the work of the ELCA Evangelism Strategy Task Force.
The ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, in cooperation with the ELCA
Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM), assembled the 33-member
task force to develop the strategy for presentation and possible action
at the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
     The task force will begin work on a final draft of the evangelism
strategy in January.  The DCM board will consider the final draft in
February and vote to send it on to the ELCA Church Council for possible
action at its April meeting.
     The work of the task force has been supported by a designated fund
totaling $450,000 approved by the Church Council in November 2001 and
April 2002.
     At the 2001 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Philadelphia, "more than
900 voting members voted to pursue a strategy on evangelism,"
Wollersheim told the council.
     That assembly received "A Telling Witness of God's Good News," the
evangelism strategy report for 1991-2001 and, in receiving the report,
authorized the presiding bishop of the ELCA -- in consultation with DCM
and other churchwide offices -- to establish a task force for the
development of a comprehensive strategy on evangelism.
     A strategy on evangelism "is necessary," said Wollersheim.  The 65
synods of the ELCA "have identified evangelism as a number one
priority."
      "The United States is the fourth largest mission field in the
world," said Wollersheim. There are many people who do not belong to a
church and the number of congregations are declining in this country, he
said.
     There are four objectives "at the heart of the strategy,"
Wollersheim said.  The strategy is designed to help members of the ELCA
grow to become a praying church; develop evangelical lay and clergy
leaders for the church; begin and renew congregations; and teach
discipleship.
     This year, the task force met twice with sub-teams working between
regularly scheduled meetings of the task force.  Its work has involved
facilitating a "renewed focus" on prayer for the witness and evangelism
ministries of the ELCA; inviting members of the church to study the
place of the gospel in daily lives; receiving gifts from the church's
companions around the world; and an awareness of previous ELCA research
on evangelism.
-- -- --
     Information about "Toward a Vision for Evangelism in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Sharing Faith in a New Century"
is maintained at http://www.elca.org/visionevangelism/ on the Internet.

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