wfn.org | ELCA Presiding Bishop: 'What Good News We Have to Share'

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: ELCA Presiding Bishop: 'What Good News We Have to Share'
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>September 4, 2009  

ELCA Presiding Bishop: 'What Good News We Have to Share'
09-196-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) should continue to discuss questions about human
sexuality, and also talk about how their congregations can grow and how
each person can carry out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their daily
lives.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, made the comments in
a video message posted Sept. 4 on a new section on the denomination's Web
site at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfulmission  "Our Faithful Mission
Together" contains a variety of resources, including documents and
reports from the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, plus information about
how offerings are used, comments from members and church leaders, and
ideas for sharing stories and discussion.

Hanson's message refers to actions taken by the assembly last month
in Minneapolis.  More than 1,000 assembly voting members adopted a social
statement on human sexuality by a two-thirds vote, and in separate
actions they directed that changes be made to the church's ministry
policies to make it possible for people in committed, same-gender
relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy,
deaconesses and diaconal ministers.

Responses throughout the church have varied regarding the assembly's
decisions, particularly on the ministry policies proposals.  Some ELCA
members are pleased, while some say they are considering leaving the ELCA
or protesting in other ways. In many congregations, members and leaders
are sharing different perspectives and asking questions about what the
decisions mean for them.

Hanson invited members to continue to discuss human sexuality, "but
have conversations about how your congregation can grow as an evangelical
center for mission, how you can do in your daily life God's work with
your hands (and) how we can stay connected."  Hanson's message alluded
to "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA's tag line.

The presiding bishop reminded viewers what he asked the churchwide
assembly: "What shall be our witness? What stories shall we tell?"

Hanson suggested some possible answers in his message. "We are a
church committed to congregations being vital, growing centers of
evangelical mission.  We are a church that believes every member is set
to do God's work with their hands," he said, "for the story we tell is
the story of God's love for the whole world in Jesus Christ. What 'Good
News' we have to share," the presiding bishop's message concluded.

>---

Information about Presiding Bishop Hanson is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bishop on the ELCA Web site.

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