wfn.org | ELCA's Bishop Anderson to be featured on Odyssey Television Program

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 19, 1997

ANDERSON FEATURED ON ˇODYSSEY˘
97-27-079-MR

        CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will be featured on a live television program dedicated to ecumenism called, "Celebration of Faith:  Hope for a New Century."  The one-hour program will air on the Odyssey channel Sunday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.  Odyssey is a 24-hour interfaith cable television network. 
        Anderson will report on significant actions of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Philadelphia, Aug. 14-20, 1997.  Viewers of the program will have the opportunity to call in and talk directly with Anderson about the assembly.  Demeteria Kalodimos, co-anchor of "News Odyssey," will host the program.
        "I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to bring an interactive town meeting report of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly ... on Odyssey," said Anderson.
        A video news release on the ELCA Churchwide Assembly will be featured on the program.  It will highlight ecumenical issues, the church's "Initiatives for a New Century," elections and guidelines for sacramental practice.  Voting members took action on three ecumenical issues.  They voted to declare "full communion" with three churches of the Reformed tradition -- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, and the United Church of Christ.  Members voted down full communion with The Episcopal Church but pledged to work toward a full communion relationship in 1999.  The assembly adopted a "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" between Lutherans and the Roman Catholic Church.
        "Examples of ecumenical partnerships on a congregational level" will be featured on the program, said John L. Peterson, ELCA director for public media.  Three video presentations will illustrate how churches are "living their ecumenical cooperation on a weekly and daily basis," he said.  "These congregations exemplify ecumenical cooperation at the local level," said Peterson.
        The three ministries noted for their ecumencial ventures include:
        Trinity Ecumenical Parish, Moneta, Va., a worshiping community made up one each of  ELCA, Episcopalian and Presbyterian congregations.  The congregations share the Rev. Gary Scheidt, a Presbyterian pastor.
        All Nations Indian Church, Minneapolis, a congregation of the United Church of Christ is served by the Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, an ELCA pastor. 
        American Lutheran Church and Community Presbyterian Church, White Sulphur Springs, Mont., share an ELCA pastor, the Rev. Dean Sandberg.  The congregations worship together and alternate church buildings every three months.  Sandberg conducts an outreach ministry on behalf of both congregations.
        "The purpose of "Hope for a New Century" is to report actions taken at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly to the ecumenical community and to the general public," said Peterson.
"There are 64 different faith groups on Odyssey working together for one common purpose -- to explore their spiritual journey," said Peterson.  "Odyssey is a strong example of interfaith cooperation in the United States today," he said.
        "Odyssey exists to nurture the spiritual needs of viewers and congregations in order to build bridges of hope and understanding," Anderson said.
        This project was funded by Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal benefits organization based in Minneapolis.

For information contact: 
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html