wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Hears Report on Project to Open 2000 Congregations

[News News <news@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 20, 1999

ELCA ASSEMBLY HEARS REPORT ON PROJECT TO OPEN 2000 CONGREGATIONS
99-CWA-37-JB

     DENVER (ELCA)   The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
has the capacity to achieve a goal of starting 2,000 new congregations
over the next 20 years, said the Rev. Richard A. Magnus, executive
director, ELCA Division for Outreach, in remarks to the 1999 ELCA
Churchwide Assembly here Aug. 18.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting Aug. 16-22 at the Colorado Convention Center.  There
are more than 2,500 people participating, including 1,038 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Hope for a New Century."
     The ELCA Division for Outreach is involved in the evangelism and
outreach project to start 2,000 new congregations by 2020.
     The ELCA has "a process of developing congregations that works,"
Magnus said.  The church also has a history of congregations starting
new congregations, he said.
     "Now we have the opportunity to put these two gifts together to
strengthen and multiply the number of new congregations, and the number
of people who will become disciples of Jesus Christ," Magnus said
     ELCA personnel will work with the church's 65 synods and 11,000
congregations to "increase this work," Magnus said.
     "Through field staff and synod committees, we will invite
congregations to identify the field they would like to reach out to,
whether nearby or across the country," Magnus said.  Congregations
interested in serving as partners in mission development will be asked
to help identify the process of raising funds to do outreach, and the
process to identify and support one of their own members to move into
ministry in the ELCA, Magnus said.
     "Only with increased recruitment of ministry leadership, both lay
and ordained, will we be able to meet the goals of this program," Magnus
said.
      Over the next several months, Magnus said ELCA Division for
Outreach staff will be training staff and synod committees for the 2,000
congregations project.
     "We have an incredible opportunity," Magnus said. "We live in one
of the world's largest mission fields, as many as 120 million people in
our country who are not actively involved in a relationship with Jesus
Christ."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html