wfn.org | ELCA Assembly Consider 'Tech' Matters

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 13, 2001

ELCA ASSEMBLY CONSIDER 'TECH' MATTERS
01-CWA61-JI
     INDIANAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Availability of electronic backup material
and real-time close-captioning for churchwide assemblies were considered
Aug. 13 among actions of voting members to the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America's (ELCA) churchwide assembly.
     The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 8-14 at the Indiana Convention Center.  There
are about 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."
     By approving a resolution of the assembly's reference and counsel
committee, voting members referred to the ELCA secretary's office a
request that all backup material for future assemblies be offered via
downloadable electronic files in text format. The secretary's office
will evaluate the proposal for recommendation to the April 2002 meeting
of the ELCA Church Council.
     A voting member pointed out that the printed material she has
received for the assembly weighs more than 11 pounds.
     Real-time captioning is already available at churchwide assembly
tables where voting members who are deaf or have hearing disabilities
are seated.
     But the Aug. 13 action called for such captioning to be on the
live video screens in the assembly hall -- a change that took place at
this assembly within seconds after the resolution passed.
     The reference and counsel committee originally recommended that
such captioning not be approved, but Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson
called for a vote only on the motion to provide captioning after voting
members proposed a number of changes.
     Two other resolutions that the reference and counsel committee
proposed did not require action.  One -- to support the "Stand With
Africa" campaign -- had been covered in a similar resolution passed
earlier in the session.  The other resolution   a proposal that voting
members approve assembly minutes by mail vote, was ruled out of order,
since the ELCA constitution does not allow proxy vote for the churchwide
assembly.
-- -- --
     Information about assembly action 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