wfn.org | ELCA Leaders Hear Preview of 2001 Churchwide Assembly

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 8, 2001

ELCA LEADERS HEAR PREVIEW OF 2001 CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY
01-CWA01-MR/MM*
     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) --The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will chair the 2001
ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center,
Indianapolis.  Anderson highlighted some significant components of the
assembly during meetings of the ELCA Church Council and ELCA Conference
of Bishops Aug. 7-8 at the Westin Indianapolis Hotel.
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as
the legislative authority of the church between its churchwide
assemblies.  The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the ELCA's
65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary.  The 2001 ELCA
Churchwide Assembly -- the church's highest legislative authority
representing the 5.15 million members of the ELCA -- will be held Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  More than 2,000 people -- including
1,040 voting members -- will gather under the theme "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     Voting members will elect a presiding bishop.  Anderson will
complete his six-year term as presiding bishop of the ELCA on Oct. 31.
He was elected at the 1995 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis.
     "Our process of [electing a bishop] is a healthy one.  It will
provide the assembly a sense of uniting and working together," Anderson
told the council.
     In addition to the election of a new presiding bishop, Anderson
highlighted several key issues to be presented at the assembly.  They
are:
     + A report of the church's evangelism strategy and a proposal for a
new strategy for the future.  There will also be reports on evangelism
strategies to reach out to Latinos, and Asian and Pacific Islanders.
     + A proposal will be made that the ELCA be "a partner in mission
and dialogue" with Churches Uniting in Christ, a project for greater
unity among nine Protestant church bodies.
     + A proposal that calls for support from ELCA congregations for
"Stand With Africa: A Campaign of Hope," a three-year campaign
coordinated by the ELCA World Hunger Program, Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod (LCMS), and Lutheran World Relief, which focuses on issues
significant to Africa, including HIV/AIDS, food security, and peace and
reconciliation.
     + A report on conversations within the church on human sexuality
issues.
     "I always think about how we are going to get through [the ELCA
Churchwide Assembly].  But, God somehow gets us through and provides many
opportunities," Anderson told the council.
-- -- --
*Michelle T. Mills is a senior at Bradley University, Peoria, Ill.  This
summer she is an intern with ELCA News & Information.

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