wfn.org | New presiding bishop for U.S. Lutherans wants to lead 'united

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Note #6806 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

church'
21-August-2001
01289

New presiding bishop for U.S. Lutherans wants to lead 'united church'

by Chris Herlinger
Ecumenical News International

NEW YORK CITY - The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has
elected Mark Hanson, a prominent Minnesota Lutheran, as its new presiding
bishop.

	Hanson, bishop of St Paul, Minn., received 533 votes while Bishop Donald
McCoid received 499, in the election on Aug. 11, during the ELCA's
churchwide assembly in Indianapolis.

	Bishop Hanson, aged 54, who takes over as the ELCA's presiding bishop on
Nov. 1, will succeed H. George Anderson, who is retiring.

	Hanson will take office at a sensitive time for the denomination.

	The churchwide assembly voted to embark upon a four-year study on
homosexuality that could culminate in changes to the denomination's policy
on ordaining those involved in same-sex relationships. Currently such
ordinations are not permitted.

	The assembly also approved a new by-law on ordinations that U.S.
Episcopalian (Anglican) leaders fear is a "unilateral alteration" of a
full-communion agreement that the ELCA and the Episcopal Church inaugurated
at the beginning of this year.

	The full-communion agreement - "Called to Common Mission" (CCM) - states
that only bishops may preside at ordinations - a new requirement for the
ELCA and one that has caused concern among some U.S. Lutherans who fear the
dilution of Lutheran tradition.

	The new by-law was agreed by 683 votes to 330 by delegates to the
churchwide assembly. It states that "in unusual circumstances" ELCA bishops
may delegate ordination authority to clergy other than bishops but only
after consulting with the denomination's presiding bishop.

	Both Bishop Hanson, and the current presiding bishop, George Anderson, said
they supported the by-law because they did not want the church to continue
to be divided over the issue.

	However, in a statement issued after the vote, Frank Griswold, presiding
bishop of the Episcopal Church said: "This appears to be a unilateral
alteration of the mutual commitment that both our churches have solemnly
made to enter into full communion based on CCM."

	Hanson, who contacted Bishop Griswold to assure the Episcopal leader of his
commitment to the CCM, told a news conference on Aug. 11 that the ELCA
needed "to walk that line between the integrity of our promises to our
ecumenical partners that we made [via] CCM and the integrity of our call as
leaders concerned for unity in our church.

	"We, as a church, do not want to send messages to our ecumenical partners
that our words cannot be trusted. But we want our ecumenical partners to
have the strongest united church that it can be."

	On the issue of homosexuality, Hanson would only say that the ELCA did not
ordain openly gay and lesbian persons and "that is the position of this
church that calls me to serve as its presiding bishop. And, until this
church in assembly chooses to change that position, it will be that position
I articulate on behalf of the church."

	Hanson's tenure in St Paul has been marked by a recent controversy over a
decision by a Lutheran congregation under his jurisdiction to ordain a
lesbian - Anita Hill - as a pastor.

	Saying he had to follow church policy, Hanson censured the church for the
ordination. However, censure was not the strongest punishment the church
could have received, and was described at the time as a relatively mild
rebuke. Members of Hanson's synod in St Paul also petitioned the assembly to
allow the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy and to allow Hill's
ordination to be recognized by the wider church.

	Hanson is described as "charismatic" by many observers, including David
Tiede, the president of Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

	Tiede told ENI that Hanson was "committed to a host of issues and causes
related to mission," including the need for the ELCA to reach out to
immigrant communities in the United States.

	On the issue of homosexuality, Tiede told ENI it was "quite predictable"
that the denomination would not vote to alter its policy on ordaining gays
and lesbians without first undertaking a major study on the issue. "We need
clarity on what it is we agree or disagree on," he said.
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