wfn.org | ELCA Council Transmits Evangelism Strategy to Assembly

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 10, 2003

ELCA COUNCIL TRANSMITS EVANGELISM STRATEGY TO ASSEMBLY
03-78-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) recommended that the 2003 Churchwide
Assembly adopt "Sharing Faith in a New Century: A Vision for
Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."
     The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves
as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide
assemblies.  The council met here April 4-6.  Assemblies are held
every other year; the next is Aug. 11-17 in Milwaukee.
     The 2001 Churchwide Assembly called for the development of a
comprehensive strategy on evangelism for the ELCA.  It received "A
Telling Witness of God's Good News," the evangelism strategy report
from 1991-2001 and, in receiving that report, the assembly authorized
the presiding bishop of the ELCA -- in consultation with the ELCA
Division for Congregational Ministries and other churchwide offices --
to establish a task force for the development of an evangelism
strategy.
     Council member Sally Young, Waterloo, Iowa, said members of the
council's Program and Services Committee discussed and suggested
amendments to the evangelism strategy document for consideration by
the council.  Young serves as chair of the committee.
     In light of the committee's work, the council requested that
the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop establish "appropriate
processes" for the implementation of the evangelism strategy in the
church, if adopted by the 2003 assembly.  The council asked that the
implementation be performed in consultation with the Division for
Congregational Ministries and in accordance with the ELCA's strategic
plan, "Faithful Yet Changing: The Plan for Mission of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America," to be presented to the 2003 Churchwide
Assembly.  The council also affirmed the strategy as a "core
strategy" of the ELCA's strategic plan.
     The council also requested regular reports on the progress of
the implementation, and it affirmed the "vital roles" of the 5.1
million members, 10,766 congregations and 65 synods of the ELCA, and
its related agencies and institutions, "in bringing to life" the
evangelism strategy.
_ _ _
     Information about "Sharing Faith in a New Century: A Vision for
Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" is
maintained at http://www.elca.org/visionevangelism/ on the Internet.

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