wfn.org | Pena Chairs ELCA Church Council for First Time

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 18, 2003

Pena Chairs ELCA Church Council for First Time
03-206-FI

     CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ELCA) -- Carlos Pena, Galveston, Texas,
served on the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) from 1993 to 1999.  Now, as vice president of
the ELCA, he chairs the council and serves in the top elected
office a lay person can hold in the ELCA.
     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. 13-16 at the
invitation of the ELCA North Carolina Synod, and joined in a
celebration of the synod's 200th anniversary Nov. 15 at Wake
Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.	Churchwide assemblies are
held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2005, in Orlando,
Fla.
     Pena is the ELCA's fourth vice president and the first man
to serve in that office.  The other officers of the church are
the presiding bishop, secretary and treasurer.	The council is
made up of the four officers and 33 voting members, who are
elected to six-year terms by churchwide assemblies.
     Officially, Pena became vice president of the ELCA on Nov.
1.  Since his election Aug. 16 by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in
Milwaukee, he was involved in a transition process to succeed Dr.
Addie J. Butler, Philadelphia, who decided not to seek a second
six-year term.
     "While September allowed me an opportunity to get my family
commitments in order, it proved to be the calm before the storm,"
Pena reported to the council.  "I started October by attending
the Conference of Bishops meeting in Chicago," he said.  That
meeting with the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and
secretary was following by meetings in Seattle; Appleton, Wis.;
and Dubuque, Iowa.
     "No matter where I travel on behalf of the ELCA, I am amazed
at the core of faithful members throughout the country, all
willing to work for the good of the church.  I know that, no
matter where I travel, even if there is discord, I will still
find the tie that binds" -- Christian fellowship, Pena said.
     "I enjoy meeting people and talking about a great part of my
life, which is the church -- the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America," Pena said in an interview after the council meeting.
Chairing the meeting was "certainly a little bit different," he
said.  "Now that it's over with, my anxiety level is down quite a
bit, but I'm excited about it."
     Pena said the difference he noticed between being a council
member and chair was that he tried to remain neutral in the
council's discussions.	Instead of pressing his own opinions, he
said he wanted to capture the sense of the council and make sure
that everyone got the chance to participate.
     For Pena an important part of the council meeting was
"seeing such a group of dedicated volunteers that come here from
all over the country and are willing to sacrifice their time away
from their families to act as the board of directors for this
church, doing their jobs with such dedication and passion."
     Pena, 50, is president of Kleen Supply Co, Inc., Galveston,
and C.M. Distributing, Houston.  He is a member of First Lutheran
Church, Galveston.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news