wfn.org | ELCA Bishops Seek Advice on Authorized Lay Ministry

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 15, 2002

ELCA BISHOPS SEEK ADVICE ON AUTHORIZED LAY MINISTRY
02-241-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) asked churchwide organization ministry
and worship staff for a process to study and discuss issues related to
authorized lay ministry and ordained ministry.	The topic of authorized
ministry by lay people was a significant item discussed at the bishops'
meeting here Oct. 3-8.
     The ELCA is organized into 65 synods, each headed by a bishop.
The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body to the church, consisting
of the 65 synod bishops, the ELCA presiding bishop and the ELCA
Secretary.
     The discussion was prompted by resolutions from the ELCA
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod and ELCA Allegheny Synod, asking the
church for guidance on "lay presidency," in which a lay person presides
at Holy Communion, and the resolutions asked for guidance on other
matters related to growing needs for alternative leadership in worship.
Discussions are already under way in the churchwide organization's
ministry and worship staff, and the ELCA Office of the Secretary.
     The ELCA Constitution allows for lay people to perform official
church functions, provided they are authorized to do so by a bishop.
     The bishops' discussions centered on the role of lay people in
presiding at Holy Communion, preaching, standards and accountability,
and common understandings of authorized lay ministry and presidency.
Practices vary from synod to synod.
     "These were issues that were widely discussed, and the Conference
of Bishops needed to find a time to look at what our practices are, what
our questions are and how we can address this issue that's really
important to the ministry of the whole church," said the Rev. Donald G.
McCoid, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh,
in an interview.  McCoid is chair of the Conference of Bishops.
     "The matter before us is not only who presides at the table, but
who stands in the pulpit and who stands at the font," said the Rev. A.
Craig Settlage, associate executive director, ELCA Division for
Ministry.  The issue is especially important for congregations with
small memberships and few finances for ordained pastors.  The number of
congregations in the ELCA with 50 or fewer in worship each week rose
from 1,935 in 1988, the first year of the ELCA, to 2,339 in 2001,
Settlage said.
     Similar numbers were reported for congregations without a called
pastor.  In 1988, there were 1,153 congregations with no called pastor,
compared to 2,456 in 2001, he said.
     In the ELCA, there are 575 synodically authorized lay ministers in
addition to the church's 17,425 active and retired pastors, said the
Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary.
     About 40 of the ELCA's 65 synods have synod-based theological
education programs to help train congregational leaders, Settlage said.
"For the Division for Ministry, we are concerned about the consistency
of training across synods," he said.
     In their discussions, bishops raised a number of concerns related
to standards, accountability and education for authorized lay ministers.
     Among the ELCA bishops "there is a desire to be consistent in the
practice of lay presidency," said the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl,
bishop of the ELCA South Dakota Synod, Sioux Falls, S.D.  DeGroot-
Nesdahl is vice chair of the Conference of Bishops.
     For some bishops, lay ministry is very important in ethnic-
specific communities within the church.  The Rev. Stephen P. Bouman,
bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod, said he authorizes
people to minister within those communities because often "there isn't
anybody else" available to serve.
     "Our synod does not have people to plant the church among new
immigrants," said the Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop of the ELCA
Northern Illinois Synod, Rockford, Ill. Wollersheim, who chairs the ELCA
Evangelism Task Force, said an evangelism strategy -- to be presented to
the 2003 Churchwide Assembly -- will likely address some components of
the issue.
     The Rev. Philip L. Hougen, bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Iowa
Synod, Iowa City, Iowa, said there may be ecumenical implications should
the bishops adopt a churchwide policy that addresses lay presidency.
Hougen is a member of the bishop's liaison committee with the ELCA
Department for Ecumenical Affairs, and is also an ELCA observer in the
ministry conversations of Churches Uniting in Christ.
     "The Episcopal Church is looking for us to be an ally in limiting
lay presidency," Hougen said.  "It is problematic for the Episcopal
Church.  We had better do this recognizing the ecumenical implications."
     "It is fair to report that it's the hope of the Episcopal Church
that we would move away from lay presidency," he added.
     "Our system provides for calls by the whole church," said the Rev.
Steven L. Ullestad, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly,
Iowa, commenting on the ordained ministry in the church.
     "This is not a congregational issue, it's a church issue,"
Ullestad continued. "The office of ministry is given to the church, not
to an individual."  He said the church needs flexible guidelines for
authorized lay ministers that uphold the policies of the church.
     The bishops are expected to continue their discussions on the
topic at their next meeting March 6-11, 2003, in Charleston, S.C.

STUDIES ON SEXUALITY, POSSIBLE MIDDLE EAST MEETING DISCUSSED
     The Conference of Bishops addressed several other matters related
to the church.	Among them were concerns about the ELCA studies on
sexuality, world hunger funds and a possible meeting in the Middle East.
     + The bishops adopted a recommendation from the ELCA Division for
Ministry in response to communications with several synod committees
that oversee candidacy for ordained ministry.  The conference affirmed
its support for the division "in its position that the present standards
and policies of the ELCA must be honored by candidacy committees as they
carry out their responsibilities related to the evaluation and approval
of candidates for ministry."  Some committees have reported that some
members who disagree with the church's standards for ordained ministers,
especially those related to gay and lesbian people, have suggested the
standards can be changed now in light of the sexuality studies, Settlage
said.  Presently, ELCA policy expects ordained ministers who are
homosexual in their self-understanding to refrain from homosexual sexual
relationships. The studies and any recommendations that may result are
to be presented for consideration to the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
     + The Rev. Margaret G. Payne, bishop of the ELCA New England
Synod, Worcester, Mass., asked the bishops to make an extra effort to
"downplay divisive language" when the sexuality studies are discussed.
Payne chairs the task force for the studies on sexuality.  "Strident
voices" are often heard on this issue, she said. Not heard are people
who want the issue to be "reframed" for them, she said.  It's also not
helpful to take straw votes on sexuality issues, because the studies are
not about that.  "Mission is what we're about," Payne said.  The Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said he is concerned "there's an
aversion to discussion and a fear about what the church will do," on
sexuality issues.
     + Gifts to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal are about $500,000 behind
budget projections, said the Rev. Allan C. Bjornberg, bishop of the ELCA
Rocky Mountain Synod, Denver.  He urged bishops to continue to remind
members about the fund and the ministries it supports.
     + The Conference of Bishops 2004 bishops' academy -- a continuing
education conference -- may be held in the Middle East, said the Rev.
Paul J. Blom, bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod,
Houston.  Blom, who chairs the bishop's Orientation and Academy
Committee, said the committee is exploring the possibility.  In a straw
poll, most bishops said they would attend a meeting there.
-- -- --
     The ELCA Conference of Bishops maintains a site at
http://www.elca.org/sr/conference.of.bishops.html on the Web.

     Information about the ELCA Studies on Sexuality can be found at
http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney on the Web.

     Information about the ELCA World Hunger Appeal is maintained at
http://www.elca.org/hunger/ on the ELCA's Web site.

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