ELCA Provides Input for Federation Regional Committee Work, Coordination - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
"Leave your friends with the recording equipment behind, Brett.
And then maybe we will not prosecute you this time."
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
February 21, 2011
ELCA Provides Input for Federation Regional Committee Work, Coordination
11-020-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) joined other regional Lutheran World Federation church leaders here Feb. 11-12 to develop proposals for how they will work together to fulfill the Federation's mission in North America. The church leaders shared updates on their respective church bodies and provided input into the Federation's strategic planning process.
Committee members expressed "strong affirmation" to strengthen the Lutheran communion, said the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, assistant to the ELCA presiding bishop for ecumenical and inter-religious affairs.
The Lutheran World Federation, based in Geneva, is 145 member churches in 79 countries throughout the world. Together these churches represent more than 70 million Christians.
Meeting participants were representatives of member churches of the Lutheran World Federation North America Regional Committee: the ELCA; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), Winnipeg; and the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad, Toronto.
Joining McCoid from the ELCA were Christina Jackson-Skelton, ELCA treasurer, who also serves as the Lutheran World Federation treasurer and vice president of the North America region, and two members of the Federation Council, Mikka McCracken, ELCA Global Mission; and the Rev. Dr. Robin J. Steinke, dean, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.). The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, is also a council member but was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. The Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission, attended as a member of the regional committee.
The Federation's North America region no longer has a designated staff person working in the region. In response, members of the North America Regional Committee agreed to present the proposals for shared work together to the governing bodies of regional Federation member churches.
Committee members agreed that their purpose is to "strengthen the Lutheran Communion by bearing witness to the fullness of Christ’s body for and with the world as a global community exercising visible solidarity among member churches. This solidarity is expressed in altar and pulpit fellowship among all member churches."
Members agreed that they will propose:
+ to coordinate decisions and actions of the Lutheran World Federation to entities within each North America region church body and monitor reception of those actions.
+ to creatively imagine ongoing ways for regional work in conversations and connections to unfold.
+ to commit to ongoing conversations to recognize "our mutual giftedness and mutual poverty, so that we receive the witness, gifts, prayers, and expertise from the (Lutheran) Communion."
+ to commit to revitalize and strengthen connectivity in the region to participate more fully in the life of the Communion.
+ to further the region's identity as Federation member churches and share this information at all levels (congregations, synods and national church bodies).
Members of the North America Regional Committee agreed they will include representatives from the member church bodies and Federation Council members from each church body in the region. North America Regional Committee members also asked the Federation to designate a representative to the regional committee.
Updates from North America region church bodies presented
Church leaders in the North America region reported changes in staffing and funding at the national level, along with work to improve and build relationships.
ELCA: The churchwide organization recently announced a significant reorganization of its structure and staff. Jackson-Skelton said the organization has taken a "longer view" of its work. McCoid said the 2011 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, to be held in August in Orlando, Fla., will consider recommendations from an ELCA task force that has studied possibilities for the ELCA's future. Malpica Padilla said ELCA leaders have remained in conversation with a few global companion churches regarding the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly actions on human sexuality. Those contacts have helped improve some relationships, he said.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada: The Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop and Federation Council member, reported that the church is undergoing a reorganization process at the national level, and it will likely be a topic of discussion at its national convention in July in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A task force is preparing a draft of a social statement on human sexuality for presentation to the Church Council and the national convention, she said.
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad: The Rev. Hannes Aasa, Consistory representative and Canadian dean, reported that the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad and the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church agreed to establish closer ties, including one archbishop instead of two. Aasa said the Estonian Church Abroad prefers to keep its LWF membership as does the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church.
North America Regional Committee members offered input into the Federation's strategic planning process. The Federation Council is expected to act on a proposed strategy in June, to be implemented in 2012 for six years.
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Information about the North America Regional Committee of the LWF is at
http://www.ELCA.org/lwf on the ELCA website.
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GJ - Of course, Missouri and WELS have nothing to do with the Lutheran World Federation. Wink. Wink.
The denominations all have overlapping jurisdictions, which are handy for money-laundering. WELS does the same thing. So does Missouri. The ELS uses cookie jars, for transparency.
One group can give another group money, which is then distributed to another agency or multiple entities. Money moves outside the denomination that way.
I learned about this while studying annual reports and asking for information. The LCA wanted me to raise money but where it went was a big secret. Everything is missions, reaching out with love for the Gospel. When the money fails, dozens of staffers get fired. That is what they mean about love and outreach.
Synods are 99% salary-based. If you want to find the apostates, look at the money trail. The ecclesiastical Left is poor at giving but aggressive in finding and spending the loot.
The Hunger Walks, once popular in many communities, were ways to raise money for the gay-Marxist National Council of Churches, whose work dovetails with the World Council of Church, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Reformed entity - all the world agencies based in Geneva, Switzerland. The world groups overlap with each other too. The Mafia should study how this works.
Eventually people connected the Hunger Walks with the NCC, and I understand the NCC had to separate from its social do-gooder agency (legally at least). Once that happened, the NCC was really on a starvation diet - no loot for their staff. They were charging a fee to the do-gooders, which used up a lot of the Hunger Walk money before the do-gooders got their hands on it.
A Leftist pastor phoned me to participate with my church in a Hunger Walk. When I identified it with the NCC, he went ballistic denying it. I said, "Even if my congregation approved, and they never will, I would not participate in any form or give to the NCC."
