Title: ELCA Churchwide Assembly to Worship, Hear Bible Studies ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 31, 2007
ELCA Churchwide Assembly to Worship, Hear Bible Studies 07-136- LL*
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Under the theme "Living in God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!" the voting members and guests of the 2007 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly will have the opportunity to participate in daily worship and Bible study. The assembly is Aug. 6-11 here at Navy Pier.
On Aug. 6 the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop and president of the Lutheran World Federation, will preside at worship and preach.
The Aug. 7 worship will feature the Rev. Melissa G. Pohlman, Christ English Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, as the presiding minister, and the Rev. Claire S. Burkat, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Norristown, Pa., will preach.
Bible study will open each afternoon plenary beginning Aug. 7. Each will focus on Paul's letter to the Galatians and Martin Luther's "Freedom of a Christian." They will include presentations and small group discussions. The Rev. David Rhoads, professor of the New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, will lead the first Bible study.
On Aug. 8 the Rev. Neris Diaz-Cabello, manager of chaplaincy services, Sherman Hospital, East Dundee, Ill., will preside at worship, with the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary, to preach. The Rev. David L. Tiede, professor, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, will lead Bible studies on Aug. 8 and 9.
The Rev. Said R. Ailabouni, Grace Lutheran Church, La Grange, Ill., will preside at worship on Aug. 9, and the Rev. F. Javier Goitia Padilla, San Juan, Puerto Rico, will preach.
The Rev. Michael L. Burk, executive, ELCA Worship and Liturgical Resources, will preside at worship Aug. 10, and the Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive assistant to the ELCA presiding bishop, will preach. The Bible study will be led by the Rev. Timothy J. Wengert, professor, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP).
The final worship service on Aug. 11 will feature Hanson as presiding minister. The Rev. Susan R. Briehl, Spokane, Wash., and project associate, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., will deliver the sermon. Bible study will be led by Dr. Marit Trelstad, associate professor of religion, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.
Augsburg College and Pacific Lutheran University are two of the ELCA's 28 colleges and universities. LSTC and LTSP are two of the ELCA's eight seminaries.
The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF now has 140 member churches in 78 countries.
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Information about the 2007 Churchwide Assembly is found at: http://www.ELCA.org/assembly on the ELCA Web site. * Lauren A. Lamb is a senior public relations and speech communication major at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog