wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Thanks Commission For Women, Discusses 'The Lutheran'

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ELCA Assembly Thanks Commission For Women, Discusses 'The Lutheran'
CWA-25-05-KB*

     ORLANDO, Fla. (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) Commission for Women was eliminated as part of the
restructuring proposal adopted Aug. 10 by the churchwide
organization.  A second recommendation related to the commission
was adopted here at the churchwide assembly Aug. 11, with 810
votes, or 83 percent of the voting members in favor.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott
and Convention Center.	About 2,300 people are participating,
including 1,018 ELCA voting members.  The theme for the biennial
assembly is "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."
     The restructuring proposal's second recommendation thanked
the Commission for Women for their "tireless and faithful work."
An amendment was defeated that would have created "a newly
developed program unit, justice for women."
     Another amendment was adopted that added the phrase, "to
recognize that the ELCA will remain accountable for the mandate
of the commission to the Church Council."  This amendment will
hold the ELCA Church Council responsible to make sure the mission
of the Commission for Women will continue in the new churchwide
organization with the implementation of the new model.	It also
said that this will occur through an interunit alliance of the
churchwide organization.
     During the debate, the Rev. Marcia Cox, voting member, the
Metro Washington D.C. Synod, said that "If it's everybody's job,
it's nobody's job."
     Janet Thompson, chair of the planning and evaluation
committee of the ELCA Church Council, said the committee is
"committed to the work that is going on and we believe we have
developed a model that is stronger."
     Thompson shared a story about a business consultant's view
that a company can only be truly safe when safety is enforced by
all units in the company.  She applied this analogy to the new
model in the churchwide organization by stating that rather than
isolating the unit, "matrixing the work on justice for women
throughout the churchwide organization will be the strongest
statement that we can make on how important this is to the
church."
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA,
thanked Joanne Chadwick, executive director of the Commission for
Women, its staff and steering committee members.  Hanson
expressed gratitude with the rest of the voting members by a
standing ovation.

"The Lutheran" Proposal
     The assembly adopted a recommendation in the restructuring
proposal that stated that the editor for the "The Lutheran," the
ELCA's monthly periodical, is to be chosen by the ELCA Church
Council and not by the Churchwide Assembly, as was done in the
past.  Motions were proposed at the assembly Aug. 11 that the
assembly retain the authority to elect the editor, but none of
the motions passed during debate.  Restructuring proposals
regarding "The Lutheran" remained unchanged.
 -- -- --
     Information about the ELCA Churchwide Assembly is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/05 on the Web.

* Kirsten H. Boettner is a senior communication major at Luther
College, Decorah, Iowa.  This summer she is an intern with the
ELCA News Service.

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