wfn.org | ELCA Bishops Hear Financial Report, ELCA Challenges, Other Issues

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 17, 2001

ELCA BISHOPS HEAR FINANCIAL REPORT, ELCA CHALLENGES, OTHER ISSUES
01-257-JB/MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- While total revenue was up $316,000, funds
received for mission support from congregations of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) were down $713,000 for the first seven
months of the current fiscal year which began Feb. 1, said Richard L.
McAuliffe, ELCA treasurer, in a report to the ELCA Conference of
Bishops.
     Revenue for the seven-month period ending Aug. 31 was nearly $46.4
million, compared to nearly $46.1 million for the same period in 2000,
he said.  Income from the ELCA's 10,816 congregations through 65 synods
in the form of mission support was nearly $37.2 million, compared to
almost $37.9 million the previous year, McAuliffe said.
     McAuliffe reported to the ELCA Conference of Bishops during its
Oct. 4-9 meeting here.  The Conference of bishops includes the church's
65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary.
     In addition, McAuliffe reported an increase of $1.03 million in
other income to the church for the seven-month period ending Aug. 31.  A
significant reason for the increase was income from bequests and other
gifts to the church, he said.  Contributions to the ELCA World Hunger
Appeal were $6.55 million, down slightly from the same period in 2000.
ELCA Disaster Response funds received through Aug. 31 were nearly $1.5
million, McAuliffe said.
     Following a brief discussion later in the meeting, the Rev. Mark
R. Moller-Gunderson, executive director, ELCA Division for
Congregational Ministries, and ELCA director for mission support, asked
the bishops to choose from a list of possible reasons for the $713,000
decline in mission support.  The three reasons chosen most often by the
bishops were congregations' increasing costs for health care premiums,
high utility costs in congregations and the general decline in the U.S.
economy.

PRESIDING BISHOP-ELECT OUTLINES CHALLENGES FOR ELCA
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop-elect, told the
bishops about a number of challenges and concerns for the ELCA that he
is aware of as he prepares to assume the role of presiding bishop Nov.
1.
     "One of my biggest fears about this call is the fear of
isolation," he said.  Hanson said he needs advice and counsel from the
bishops.  Other issues he raised were:
     + the challenge that the church be able to have "deep
disagreements and lively discourse" that don't tear the ELCA apart;
     + the challenge that the ELCA engage in planning that will bring
the church to the 2003 Churchwide Assembly with "clarity and focus on
mission;"
     + the challenge of giving "face and focus" to the churchwide
organization;
     + the challenge of undertaking a study of homosexuality in a way
that builds trust and openness in the ELCA;
     + the challenge of allowing the presiding bishop to be a servant
leader instead of a "lightning rod" for the ELCA; and
     + the challenge of allowing the presiding bishop to lead the
church versus representing it.

OFFICIAL OBSERVERS MAY BE AT UPCOMING ASSEMBLIES
     The ELCA Office of the Secretary will develop a proposal on the
establishment of an "official observer" category at ELCA churchwide
assemblies, said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary.  The
churchwide assembly, held every other year, is the chief legislative
authority of the church.  The next assembly is in August 2003 in
Milwaukee.
     The idea is "to provide encouragement to congregations to send
their pastors to observe the process of the assembly," Almen said.  In
addition to learning about the assembly process, resources would be made
available to official observers, he said.  Having official observers
would "underscore the sense of welcome" at an assembly, Almen told the
Conference of Bishops.
     The proposal will be refined and distributed to the Church Council
and Conference of Bishops before the 2003 assembly, Almen said.  "It
will require no change in [ELCA constitutional] bylaws or continuing
resolutions," he added.

DIACONAL MINISTRY DRAFT DOCUMENT PRESENTED
     Dr. Lake Lambert III, assistant professor in religion, Wartburg
College, Waverly, Iowa, presented a draft version of "Called to Serve:
Diaconal Ministry in the ELCA," a document outlining the history,
opportunity and challenges of diaconal ministry in the Lutheran church.
     According to Lambert, the church is "engaged in a process of
defining what [diaconal] ministry is, since it is so new."  Lambert said
progress has been made on diaconal ministers taking greater
responsibility as "a community for the interpretation of diaconal
ministry to the whole church."
     "Diaconal" comes from the same Greek word as "deacon"   diakonia
meaning "service" or "ministry."  An ELCA bylaw says, "Diaconal
ministers shall seek in a great variety of ways to empower, equip and
support all the baptized people of God in the ministry of Jesus Christ
and the mission of God in the world."  Currently, there are 45 diaconal
ministers in the ELCA.
     Wartburg College is one of the ELCA's 28 colleges and
universities.

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