wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Acts on First Reference and Counsel Proposals

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 13, 2001

ELCA ASSEMBLY ACTS ON FIRST REFERENCE AND COUNSEL PROPOSALS
01-CWA54-JI

     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) churchwide assembly approved four actions Aug. 12 that were the
first proposals from the reference and counsel committee.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  There
are nearly 2,500 people participating, including 1,039 ELCA voting
members.  The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known:
Sharing Faith in a New Century."
     Lily Wu, a member of the reference and counsel committee,
explained that the ELCA Church Council appoints the committee to review
and recommend to the assembly proposed changes to the church body's
Constitution and Bylaws.  Wu, a member of the Church Council from Forest
Hills, N.Y., said the committee also presents motions on proposals not
submitted to the assembly by ELCA synods. The assembly's memorials
committee presents synod proposals.
     The first of the four reference and counsel memorials presented
and approved was one that referred to the ELCA Division for Outreach a
proposal to add a full-time staff member to the division to work with
its director for rural networking and resources.
     Other reference and counsel motions passed Aug. 12:
     * Refer to the Church Council's budget and finance committee a
motion that the reference year for a budget proposal be consistent with
the proposed budget, and that inflation rates in budget proposals "be
derived from statistically equivalent financial information;"
     * Refer to the Division for Church in Society and the Division for
Higher Education and Schools a proposal for the ELCA to develop and
distribute free material that addresses Lutheran identity, along with a
listing of ELCA Web addresses; and
     * Refer to the Church Council a proposed bylaw change to the ELCA
constitution that the church's vice president "serve in a stipended
position." Voting members approved this as an alternative to the
committee's recommendation for "disapproval" of the resolution. A
rationale statement of the committee explained that the vice president
position is a volunteer position, "with reimbursement of all expenses
related to this position."
-- -- --
     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