wfn.org | Lutheran Bishop Attends White House Prayer Breakfast

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

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

September 16, 1998

LUTHERAN BISHOP ATTENDS WHITE HOUSE PRAYER BREAKFAST
98-33-188-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The country faces two issues -- one political, the
other spiritual," said the Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., bishop of the New Jersey
Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), after attending
an annual White House prayer breakfast Sept. 11.  He was one of about 70
religious leaders to hear President Bill Clinton confess and repent of
"breaches of my own making."
     "In terms of our political life, the issue is whether or not we can
trust President Clinton to lead," said Riley.  "I personally believe that
we can."
     "In terms of the spiritual life of the country, the issue is whether
or not we have the heart, the spirit for sensing our own complicity in the
present situation, and the need for the kind of repentance that turns us
together in a more positive direction for the sake of all," he said.
     President Clinton told the gathering, "I have been on quite a journey
these last few weeks to get to the end of this, to the rock bottom truth of
where I am and where we all are.  I agree with those who have said that in
my first statement after I testified I was not contrite enough.  I don't
think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned."
     Riley said, "There is no getting around the very serious, immoral
nature of the president's conduct.  It was from the depth of his despair
that I believe the president was speaking of his repentance and asking for
our forgiveness."
     The Lutheran bishop said the religious community cannot gloss over
the wrong that has been done.  He said it would be better to recognize "the
apparent contrition of the president, to affirm his genuine repentance, and
to declare to him that there is forgiveness for him and for anyone who
truly repents."  The next step is "to hold the president accountable for
continuing on the path upon which repentance has set him."
     Riley said that after reporters and cameras left the breakfast
"virtually everyone in attendance spoke with President and Mrs. Clinton
individually."  He said others who had attended previous breakfasts noted
"an unusual sense of intimacy and informality" this year.
     The bishop said he was invited to the annual prayer breakfast several
weeks before the event because of his work with former Senator Paul Simon
(D-Ill.) "in the matter of the growing disparity between rich and poor in
this country."
     "It was clear that the overriding sentiment in the room was in
support of the president," said Riley, "but there were different opinions
on how that support should be announced to the public."
     Riley was also in Washington, D.C., to attend a weekend briefing for
ELCA synod bishops conducted by the Lutheran Office for Governmental
Affairs.

For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director 1-773-380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html