wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Welcomed by Indiana-Kentucky Synod Bishop Stuck

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 9, 2001

ELCA ASSEMBLY WELCOMED BY INDIANA-KENTUCKY SYNOD BISHOP STUCK
01-CWA10-LJ

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Bishop James A. Stuck welcomed the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churchwide assembly
meeting with a call and response, "God is good: All the time." Stuck
greeted the assembly on behalf of the 240 congregations, 85,000 members
of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod. "Our hundreds of volunteers are taking
their time to be here to greet and care for the voting members as Christ
is in our midst," he said.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  There
are more than 2,000 people participating, including 1,040 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     "Each volunteer is wearing a pedometer to measure the distances
walked throughout the assembly and have gathered pledges for each mile
to support the ministries of World Hunger and the Stand With Africa
appeal," Stuck said. "A synod is a shared journey, and as we walk
together into our church's future, we journey as well with the poorest
of our brothers and sisters in Christ." Volunteers reported walking
between six and 17 miles the first day in which the assembly was set up.
     "The gift of a butterfly handcrafted in our companion synod of
Chile," given to each voting member, "represents the interconnectedness
of society today and the outreach emphasis of our synod vision," said
Stuck.  "Outreach is of primary importance in the synod with 30 mission
initiatives, 17 mission developers and redevelopers and $2.5 million
from our Mission 2000 supporting them living out the 'Making Christ
Known' message of the assembly."
     Other items of business Aug. 8, included adopting the agenda for
the assembly and the ecclesiastical first ballot for the election of the
presiding bishop.
-- -- --
     Information about assembly actions is at
http://www.elca.org/assembly/01 on the ELCA's Web site.  Recorded
updates during the assembly are available by calling 773/380-2477.

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