ELCA Archbishop Denounces Timid Lutherans

ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 5, 2010 ELCA Presiding Bishop Tells ELCA Leaders it's Time to Move Forward; Most People Following Out of Curiosity      CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a report to leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said it is time for the church to move forward and get over being "timid" about mission and ministry.      "In the name of Jesus Christ our days of timidity are over," Hanson told the ELCA Conference of Bishops, ELCA synod vice presidents and ELCA seminary presidents Oct. 2.  "I just think we have to say it.  And we have to say it with the confidence that's implied in that declaration."      In recent months the ELCA has been affected by losses of members, declining financial resources and disagreements over sexuality decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Hanson said.       Hanson said he has been thinking about a Bible verse featured at the Sept. 18 installation of the Rev. Wolfgang Herz-Lane as bishop of the ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod.  That verse, 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV), says: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."      "I've been pondering that a lot. Have we become a timid church?" Hanson asked the ELCA leaders.  A sign of a timid church is one that describes itself by what it has lost and what it lacks, he said.  Such a church is one that tries to hold onto the past and preserve what was, Hanson said.      A church that defines itself by controversies and partisan divisions "will become a weary and timid church," Hanson said.  A timid church has lost confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit to work through the gospel, he said.  The presiding bishop also said he is "deeply concerned" that leaders preach with a sense of confidence.      There is plenty of evidence that the church should be confident in the power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel, he said.       "We have this treasure in the gospel of Jesus Christ," he told the ELCA leaders.  "Why are we timid about that good news?  Don't you think the world deserves to hear it?"       Hanson said while the gospel frees believers, Lutherans also recognize that they are "free to be bound" to their neighbors in service.  "Lutheran Christians know what it means to roll up our sleeves to get to work together for the sake of the neighbor," he said.       The presiding bishop reminded the leaders of the ELCA's "rich texture" of global companions, its six full communion partners, and that the church welcomes and expects dialogue with people who bring "diverse and passionately held positions" on a variety of topics.      Hanson said he continues to have confidence in the two priorities for the churchwide organization: accompanying congregations as growing centers of evangelical mission, and building capacity for evangelical witness in the world to alleviate poverty, and work for justice and peace.      He reflected on his experiences at recent gatherings.  One was a retreat with 300 high school students and young adults in the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod, and another was the "Follow Me" conference here for ELCA communicators, and campus and youth ministry staff.  "In those gatherings, I saw evidence of the stirring up of leaders in this church that gives me a sense of confidence and courage," he said.      Hanson also cited the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Assembly in Stuttgart, Germany.  While many predicted the assembly would show division in the federation, Hanson said he believes the assembly will be remembered for its contribution to healing divisions in the Body of Christ.  That occurred when the Lutherans asked God and Mennonites, on behalf of all Anabaptists, for forgiveness for condemnations and persecution of Anabaptists by Lutherans.      Hanson said he gives thanks for the service of the Rev. Gerald B. Kieshnick, former president of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), and welcomes the Rev. Matthew Harrison, Kieschnick's successor.      Leaders of the ELCA and LCMS will meet as the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation in December, Hanson said.  "It is my prayer that now as Lutheran Christians in the world, we not yield to the temptation to make this an occasion to use confessional theology and doctrine as grounds for dividing us," he said.  The ELCA presiding bishop said he hopes the two churches can find a deeper unity in their understanding of the faith "that becomes the basis of a shared but differentiated proclamation in the world and in our shared service."      Hanson concluded his report by asking leaders not to lose confidence "in the gifts of the Spirit and what it means to live out the faith."      "I think we are in a time of 'turning and being turned' as this church.  The next 11 months … could be the most significant in the 22-year history of the ELCA.  They could be, and I'm confident they will be," Hanson said.       Hanson's 11-month reference was to the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly, to be held in August 2011 in Orlando, Fla.