Lutheran Youth Faith Formation

Shrimp again.

The thing about e-mails from synod offices is that they are easier to pass along for wider distribution than newletters and paper.

Discover new resources for ministry at "Sacred Stories: Youth Faith Formation in an Interfaith World" conference

Connect with other youth ministry workers and gain new interfaith youth ministry resources April 12-14, 2010, at "Sacred Stories: Youth Faith Formation in an Interfaith World," Youth in Mission's second annual youth ministry conference at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Hannah McConnaughay of the Interfaith Youth Core, will present Youth Ministry in the 21st Century: Navigating Religious Diversity and Identity." McConnaughay's work in the Outreach Education and Training Department of the Interfaith Youth Core takes her to college campuses and conferences to promote religious pluralism and offer skills trainings. She is developing a nationwide interfaith curriculum for youth in the Unitarian Universalist Association and is a former site coordinator of Inspired to Serve, the first federally funded interfaith service program. McConnaughay is a Christian committed to the call to work for justice. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and Economics from the University of Chicago and has worked in the fields of rape crisis, social work, and educational enrichment programming.

Workshops and large group activities include:

• "Sharing and Extending 'Sacred Stories' to Your Ministry and Community," led by Kristen Glass, Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Katy Resop, Program Assistant for Youth and Young Adult Ministries, both of the ELCA's Vocation and Education unit


• "The Living Fire: Practical Tips for Organizing Faith Communities and Youth to Meet the Environmental Challenge," presented by Jon Magnuson, Lutheran Campus Pastor at Northern Michigan University and Director of the Cedar Tree Institute


• "Common Action for the Common Good: How to Organize an Interfaith Service-Learning Event," led by Hannah McConnaughay, Program Associate in the Outreach Education and Training Department of Interfaith Youth Core


• Interfaith Panel Discussion

Conference registration is $90/per person plus housing and transportation costs. The registration deadline is March 12, 2010. For more information on YIM's youth ministry workers' conference, including registration, please visit the conference website: http://yim.lstc.edu/conference/index.php or call us at 800-635-1116, ext. 725.

In connection with the youth ministry conference, Youth in Mission will host its second annual Silent Auction and Benefit Dinner fundraiser on Tuesday, April 13, with all proceeds benefiting Youth in Mission's ministry at LSTC.

Youth in Mission was originally funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., for the purpose of encouraging young people to explore their gifts for ministry and to consider a profession of serving others through the church. Lilly continues to fund the YIM programs through a matching grant, and LSTC continues to seek individuals or congregations who wish to partner with us in this ministry. To invest in the future of YIM programs please contact Jessica Nipp at jnipp@lstc.edu.

We feel much better knowing that a Lutheran seminary is trying to help Lutheran congregations grow youth ministry with the help of one of the Christians in the Unitarian Universalist Association. Don't you?

Shrimp out.

"The Mark Hanson Show" Returns

Shrimp here, quick to point out that this post's title comes from a Forum Letter description of an ELCA Churchwide Assembly a few years back. Apparently the mini-series that shows up every 2 years isn't enough.

A correspondent has forwarded this e-mail from a Synod office:

Second online TOWN HALL FORUM
Save the date!
Join us on Sunday ... March 7 at 4 p.m. CST

You're invited to join Bishop Mark Hanson and ELCA members from across the country in a conversation about the mission and ministries of this church.

There are so many easy ways to participate:

• Watch the event live from 4-5 p.m. CST at www.elca.org/townhall
• Log in to post questions
• Post comments using Facebook Connect
• Tweet about the event using the hashtags #ELCA
  and #BishopHanson
• Gather members of your congregation for a viewing party

For more information, visit www.elca.org/townhall for details.

We can feel the energy already. Shrimp out.

A "common" what?

Shrimp here. While we find ourselves talking about sexuality a lot (indeed, probably waay too much), we at Shellfish have long been asserting that sexual, uh, confusion in the ELCA and other "mainline" (aka "oldline" or "side line") Protestant churches is merely a symptom of deeper troubles.

It has been some time since we noted that we have "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" as a setting on the Google News page that is the default page for our web browser, and it's a setting that helps us find other symptoms.

What caught our eye today was the headline, "Attend Lenten study of criminals in the bible." This actually intrigued us -- in a positive sense -- so off we went to NorthJersey.com to find out more:

The congregation of St. Paul's Teaneck invites the community to a weekly Lenten study concerning criminals in the Bible.

The Rev. Gary C. LeCroy will lead a lively discussion about the outcasts, wrongdoers and miscreants that is found in both the common and New Testament. Coffee, refreshments and fellowship will be provided. The series begins Thursday evening Feb. 25 and every Thursday through Lent at 7 p.m....

We were reading the rest of the announcement when a double-take in our mind finally took effect: "common and New Testament"???

We've already been disheartened by Wartburg Seminary, which has the image of being one of the more, uh, mild ELCA seminaries, having professors of the "Hebrew Bible." Which now has us checking out the other ELCA seminaries...

...

...

Oh, dear, at Southern (reputedly the most confessional/conservative of ELCA seminaries) it is "Professor of Hebrew Scriptures"...

...

...

... well, everybody else manages to get the more usual Christian designation for that section of the Bible in there somewhere.

But if there are local and churchwide ELCA leaders who avoid speaking of the "Old Testament," what else are they avioding when it is time to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"?

We need to learn about the criminals in the Bible. But what about possible "criminals" of the faith today?

Shrimp out.

Anita Hill Approved for Ordained Ministry

Shrimp here.

Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries reports that Anita Hill, whose "extraordinary ordination" in 2001 helped kick off the process that led to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly's approval of a social statement on human sexuality and adjusting the standards for rostered ministry to permit the service of those in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same sex relationships, has been approved for admission to the ELCA clergy roster by the St. Paul Area Synod:

The St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA has approved Rev. Anita Hill for reception to the ELCA roster.

In communicating their decision, the panel wrote: "At the recommendation of the panel that met with you on February 2, 2010, it was moved by Marty Ericson and carried that Anita Hill be received onto the roster of the ELCA for ordained pastors pending the implementation of the Vision and Expectations policy changes approved at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August 2009."

The committee shared the following words with their decision: "Recognizing the intentional, prayerful, parallel process of the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries candidacy process, as well as your ministry partnership within the life of our synod, the Saint Paul Area Synod Candidacy Committee celebrates with you as you anticipate being received onto the roster."

Read it all here. Shrimp notes that the phrase used is "received onto the roster," suggesting that the Synod Candidacy Committee desires that her ordination be recognized as being like that of any other Lutheran church ordination.

Tip o' the claw to Lutheran (True) Confessions.

Shrimp out.

ELCA Responds to Lutheran CORE Announcement

Shrimp again. ELCA News sent out this release a couple of hours ago.

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
February 18, 2010

ELCA Churchwide Organization Responds to Lutheran CORE Announcement
10-067-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The churchwide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) said it "will continue to respond to those congregations with questions or concerns" related to the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, adding it is "committed to ongoing conversation" with those congregations.

The comments were part of a Feb. 18 statement from the ELCA churchwide organization following an announcement from the Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE). CORE announced its proposal for "the reconfiguration of Lutheranism in North America," in a Feb. 18 news release.

"The ELCA is a church focused on a vibrant Christ-centered mission and ministry," the ELCA churchwide organization's statement said. "It carries out its mission through the daily vocations of its 4.6 million members, the ministries of its 10,239 congregations, through response to disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, and through deep commitments to global and ecumenical partners throughout the world."

"As the ELCA carries out the directives of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, we continue to encourage congregations, synods and the churchwide organization to remain in conversation about these matters," the statement said. The churchwide organization statement said it regretted the decisions "of a few congregations" to leave the ELCA.

Lutheran CORE's proposal calls for the continuation of the organization as "a community of confessing Lutherans" and for the formation of a new Lutheran church body, the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).

CORE’s Sept. 25-26, 2009 convocation in Fishers, Ind., asked that a proposal for the "reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism" be prepared and brought to CORE’s 2010 Convocation Aug. 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio, CORE's news release said.

"The proposal released Feb. 18 is a response to that request. It was released now so that Lutheran CORE members can provide input to aid in drafting the proposals that will be considered by the 2010 Convocation," the CORE release said.

CORE's announcement is a response to the decisions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. The assembly created the possibility for Lutherans in committed, lifelong, monogamous and publicly accountable same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA clergy and professional lay leaders. It also adopted a social statement on human sexuality.

The 2010 ELCA Yearbook reports that there are 10,239 congregations in the ELCA. As of Feb. 4 the ELCA Office of the Secretary reported that 220 congregations had taken initial votes to terminate their relationship with the ELCA. Sixty-four of those congregations failed to achieve the required two-thirds vote to continue in the process. Through Feb. 4, 28 congregations had taken a second vote. The Office of the Secretary confirmed that seven congregations have officially left the ELCA.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elcanews

Shrimp again. Does anyone know where the actual "Feb. 18 statement from the ELCA churchwide organization" can be found? We don't find it anywhere the ELCA web site yet. Shrimp out...

Lutheran CORE's Vision

Shrimp again. Lutheran CORE's new "Vision and Plan" for itself and a new North American Lutheran Church is now online. The entire document runs 20 printed pages. We're posting the "summary" here, but you'll want to read the whole thing -- pdf format for download and printing or as a webpage for reading in your browser.

February 18, 2010
Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther, Renewer of the Church, 1546

Dear Friends in Christ,

We are living in an exciting time for confessing Lutherans in North America! Pastors and laypeople increasingly are engaged in the life of the Church beyond their congregations. Many are returning with new zeal to the true mission of the Church, the sharing of the Good News of Christ Jesus. Many are eager for new fellowships, new structures, and new ways of doing common ministry. And all this is happening in a society that has become once more a mission field, a culture desperately in need of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior.

In September 2009, Lutheran CORE's national convocation, meeting in Fishers, IN, committed us to pursue the "reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism," by providing for the needs both of those who plan to leave and those who plan to remain within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) in this season of challenge and opportunity. This document summarizes our vision and plan for pursuing these goals.

Lutheran CORE affirms the faithful call of confessing Lutherans, some of whom will remain in the ELCA and ELCIC and some of whom are now called to different affiliations. We envision a reconfiguration that maintains the highest degree of ongoing unity and cooperation possible among those who leave and those who stay. A primary vehicle for this unity will be the continuing ministry of Lutheran CORE, reconfigured as an association of confessing Lutherans spanning denominational bodies. However, after hearing the hopes and requests of many of those who plan to leave their current church bodies, we are now also proposing the formation of a new denominational body for confessing Lutherans: the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).

The NALC will be a faithful and innovative Lutheran church body that spans national borders. It will hold at its heart the Great Commission of Jesus to "make disciples of all nations." It will utilize networked ministries of local congregations and parachurch organizations, rather than the large bureaucracy of a denominational body. It will be governed by a convocation of representative delegates from its congregations, and it will submit major decisions to congregational ratification. It will stand in continuity with the 2,000 year history of "the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church," marrying the classical form of the church catholic with flexible structures appropriate for its ministry emphases. It will be ecumenically engaged and confessionally grounded.

It will also be a church body bigger than itself, for it will work in close partnership and cooperation with the community of Lutheran CORE. For confessing Lutherans who will remain within the ELCA and ELCIC, Lutheran CORE will offer an alternate ecclesial family, where they can connect with each other and with confessing Lutherans in the NALC and other church bodies. Some will choose to coordinate witness initiatives within the ELCA or ELCIC through this community. Many will choose to organize collaborative ministry initiatives with their partners in Lutheran CORE. Mindful of the objective of ongoing unity, the NALC will conduct many of its ministry initiatives with and through its partners in the Lutheran CORE community. And Lutheran CORE will organize its capabilities to provide resources, advice and assistance to its members in carrying out their local ministries.

Both the NALC and Lutheran CORE will be centered on four key attributes: Christ-Centered, Mission-Driven, Traditionally-Grounded and Congregationally-Focused:

• Christ-Centered: We confess the apostolic faith in Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures. We affirm the authority of the canonical Holy Scriptures as the only source and norm of our faith and life. We accept the ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions as true witnesses to the Word of God.


• Mission-Driven: We believe that making disciples for Christ is the core priority of the Church, that congregation planting is often best done through local congregations, and that both external and internal evangelization must be a priority of the Church in the present age.


• Traditionally-Grounded: We affirm the ecumenical creeds and the faithful witness of the Church across time and space. We endorse the form and practices of the universal Church that are consistent with Scripture, particularly the office of the ministry and the tradition of worship under Word and Sacrament. We seek dialogue and fellowship with other Lutheran churches and with faithful Christians of other confessions.


• Congregationally-Focused: We envision a new church body and confessing community that are organized to facilitate the ministries of local congregations in a posture of servanthood and a spirit of partnership, through the provision of resources, connections and information.

Finally, both Lutheran CORE and the NALC will seek to foster further reconfiguration and unity among confessing Lutherans by seeking out partnership opportunities with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) and with WordAlone and other orthodox Lutheran churchly groups and ministries. While respecting our different roles and church structures, we all share a common confession of faith and a common commitment to the authority of the Word of God and the centrality of the Great Commission in the life of the Church. May God grant us ever-increasing opportunities to serve Him collaboratively.

In the hope that God will use these efforts to His purposes, we offer this plan for review and comment by all confessing Lutherans in North America.

The Lutheran CORE Vision and Planning Working Group
The Lutheran CORE Steering Committee
The Lutheran CORE Advisory Council

Read it all here (pdf format) or here. Shrimp out.

Lutheran CORE Proposes Reconfiguration

Shrimp here. Lutheran CORE has just released "A Vision and Plan for The North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran CORE, a community of confessing Lutherans." Here's the press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 18, 2010

Contacts: Mark Chavez - lcore@popp.net. - 717-898-0801
Ryan Schwarz - rschwarz@mba1994.hbs.edu - 202-285-3167
David Baer - editor@lutherancore.org - 605-641-2399

Lutheran CORE releases proposal for reconfiguration of Lutheranism
Proposal recommends new Lutheran church and continuation of Lutheran CORE

Leaders of Lutheran CORE released a proposal for the reconfiguration of Lutheranism in North America on Thursday, Feb. 18. The proposal calls for the continuation of Lutheran CORE as "a community of confessing Lutherans" and for the formation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), a new Lutheran church body.

Lutheran CORE's national Convocation Sept. 25-26, 2009, in Fishers, Ind., asked that a proposal for the "reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism" be prepared and brought to Lutheran CORE's 2010 Convocation Aug. 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio. The proposal released Feb. 18 is a response to that request. It was released now so that Lutheran CORE members can provide input to aid in drafting the proposals that will be considered by the 2010 Convocation.

"We are committed to maintaining the unity of as many faithful Lutherans in North America as possible," said Ryan Schwarz of Washington, D.C., who chaired the Vision and Planning Working Group that created the proposal.

Many individuals and congregations are considering whether or not to remain affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) because of what they see as the ELCA's continued drift from the teachings of the Bible and traditional Christianity. "These proposals are a way for those who uphold traditional Christian teaching — both those who are leaving the ELCA to join the NALC or another body, and those who will remain in the ELCA — to work together," Schwarz explained.

"There are deep divisions in the ELCA as a result of the Churchwide Assembly's recent actions," he added.

The actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August to affirm same-sex sexual relationships and to allow pastors and other rostered leaders to be in those relationships in spite of the teaching of the Bible have been seen by many ELCA members as evidence that the Bible no longer functions as the ultimate norm for the faith and life of the ELCA. Similar concerns are being expressed about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

"These proposals are a way for Lutherans to move forward in carrying out the true mission of the Christian Church — which is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ — while leaving behind past struggles to reform the ELCA," Schwarz explained.

North American Lutheran Church
"Confessing Lutherans have raised their voices over the past several months, asking for a church body which is faithful in its preaching and practice to the Holy Bible and to the teachings of the Lutheran Confessions. Lutheran CORE has heard these requests and, in response, now proposes to form the North American Lutheran Church (NALC)," the proposal explains.

"The NALC is being established in response to those members and friends of Lutheran CORE who have expressed a preference for completely withdrawing from the ELCA or ELCIC. They are looking for a new Lutheran church body which stands in the tradition of the Church, is denominationally structured for leadership, oversight and accountability, enhances representative governance by congregations and affirms and supports ministry and mission at the congregational level."

The NALC and Lutheran CORE will function cooperatively in shared ministry and mission. To express and build unity amongst their respective members, most ministries of the two bodies will be carried out jointly: domestic and global evangelism, theological education, and human service.

Lutheran CORE
"Lutheran CORE affirms that both staying in and leaving the ELCA and ELCIC can be faithful courses for confessing Lutherans. We envision a reconfiguration that maintains the highest degree of ongoing unity and cooperation possible among those who leave and those who stay," the document states. "A primary vehicle for this unity will be the continuing ministry of Lutheran CORE, reconfigured as an association of confessing Lutherans spanning denominational bodies."

"Lutheran CORE intends to be a community of Lutherans who acknowledge that Scripture is the only and final authority in matters of faith and life, and who accept the Lutheran Confessions as a faithful and trustworthy witness to the Word of God. It will be composed of individuals, congregations, partner renewal movements and church bodies, including the NALC, who agree with its constitution," the proposal explains.

"Lutheran CORE is not becoming the NALC. It is aiding in the formation of this new church body," explained the Rev. Paull Spring of State College, Pa., chair of Lutheran CORE's Steering Committee and a member of the working group that prepared the proposal.

"Lutheran CORE will continue as an association of confessing Lutherans spanning denominational bodies. Lutheran CORE will serve those in the ELCA, those in the NALC, and hopefully those in other Lutheran church bodies such as LCMC who share a commitment to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions," explained Spring, the retired bishop of the ELCA's Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. "The NALC will provide a church body for those who choose to leave the ELCA."

Four Key Attributes
The proposal outlines four "key attributes" of both Lutheran CORE and the NALC: "Christ-Centered," "Mission-Driven," "Traditionally-Grounded," and "Congregationally-Focused."

"The vision statement's commitment to prioritize making disciples of Christ in congregations, communities and in all nations is key. That's the 'main thing' and if Christian churches don't do it, no one else will," said the Rev. Mark Chavez of Landisville, Pa., director of Lutheran CORE.

"The people who drafted the proposals for Lutheran CORE and the NALC come from several different backgrounds and traditions in North American Lutheranism. They are united in a common confession of the Christian faith and commitment to submit to the authority of God's Word over all matters of faith and life. That's hopeful and exciting," Chavez said.

The proposal was drafted by an eight-member working group. It was reviewed and approved by Lutheran CORE's Steering Committee and its Advisory Council of theologians and church leaders.

Members of the Vision and Planning Task Force are two lay people: Schwarz and Carolyn Nestingen, Dallas, Ore.; four ELCA pastors: the Revs. Cathi Braasch, Smithfield, Neb.; Dan Selbo, San Jose, Calif.; David Glesne, Fridley, Minn.; and Mike Tavella, Abington, Pa.; and two retired ELCA bishops: Spring and the Rev. Ronald Warren, Grove City, Ohio, former bishop of the ELCA's Southeastern Synod.

"It is fitting that these proposals are being announced on the day that the Lutheran church remembers the great reformer Martin Luther. Luther brought new life and renewal to the church of his day. We pray that God will use these proposals to bring new life and renewal to the church of our day," Spring said.

Feb. 18 is the date on Lutheran church calendars for the commemoration of Martin Luther as a renewer of the Christian Church. Luther died Feb. 18, 1546.

Congregations already leaving ELCA
Congregations around the country are already taking votes on whether to leave the ELCA. ELCA Secretary David Swartling reported that, as of Feb. 3, 220 congregations in 49 of the ELCA's 65 synods have taken votes to leave the ELCA.

Two votes at least 90 days apart — each receiving a two-thirds majority — are required for a congregation to end its affiliation with the ELCA. Swartling reported that 156 congregations attained the required two-thirds majority on their first vote. Twenty-eight congregations already have taken their second vote. All of those votes attained the two-thirds majority for the congregation to leave the ELCA.

Several congregations have had a significant majority vote to leave the ELCA but failed to reach the two-thirds majority, increasing the crisis and division in those congregations.

Many ELCA congregations are facing divisions among their members and financial difficulties as a result of the ELCA assembly's actions. Revenues to the ELCA churchwide organization and to many synods have decreased as congregations have chosen to redirect their benevolence giving to ministries other than the ELCA.

Additional information and the proposal draft are online at www.lutherancore.org.

- 30 -

Bishop Mansholt Lifts Censure

Shrimp here.

While folks at The Lutheran Center (the formal name of the ELCA headquarters at 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago) are still trying to figure out how to re-write standards and policies to respect diametrically-opposed "bound consciences," the Bishop of the Central States Synod (originally called the Missouri-Kansas Synod) has acted in the case of a small congregation that called a lesbian pastor unwilling to live in accordance with Vision and Expectations.

Here's the front page of the February 2010 edition of Making Christ Known, the synod's newsletter:

From the Bishop

To paraphrase the writer of Ecclesiastes, there is a time for discipline and a time for healing.

I am announcing to the synod that I have lifted the censure that was placed upon Abiding Peace Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Missouri in 2001.

Abiding Peace Lutheran Church in the spring of 2001 called and ordained Donna Simon to serve as their pastor. They did so, however, in violation of the ELCA constitution and bylaws. Placed under censure according to the ELCA procedures for discipline, members of Abiding Peace have been prohibited from serving as elected members of the synod council, synod committees or teams.

Donna Simon, a lesbian, is not on the roster of the ELCA, but she has served as the pastor of the congregation for nearly nine years. In my letter to the congregation, I write that "...though ordained outside the established processes of the Church, Pastor Simon has been a gracious witness among us in this synod as well as in the larger Church. She has spoken the truth in love, and shared her witness and struggle as a baptized child of God, even as she has prayed for a day of wider understanding and acceptance in the Church."

I announced to the Synod Council Executive Committee on January 29, that I have lifted the censure from Abiding Peace Lutheran Church and welcome them into the full life of the Central States Synod. To the congregation I wrote that I have been grateful for their "...continuing partnership in the Gospel over the past nine years. [They] have steadfastly participated in the life of the Synod, supported the ministries of the larger Church and been a constant presence in our life together."

As the Church studied, prayed and conversed with one another over the matters of gay and lesbian people in the Church, Abiding Peace Church might have walked away. But they remained in the Church and stayed in dialog with brothers and sisters who were trying to make sense of these issues in the light of the Gospel. They kept on praying for a better day, a time of wider awareness and acceptance.

We are still not of one mind on these matters. But we are one in Christ. What makes us one is not the purity of our theological thought, nor the soundness of our moral reasoning. Our unity comes from the God and Father of Jesus Christ who claims us in baptism and blesses us with the Holy Spirit.

With the censure lifted, and the decisions made by the ELCA last year, I know the congregation also longs for the day when their pastor might be welcomed onto the roster of the ELCA.

Miss Simon had written about Abiding Peace's censure shortly after the Churchwide Assembly on her PeacePastor blog:

My congregation already has a pastor in a "same gender, life-long, monogamous, publicly accountable relationship." Okay, I'm fudging "publicly accountable" a little, since we are waiting until we live in the same state to take the ELCA up on its support of our getting married (they'd never say "married," but I can. Married married married. That's what they voted on and they know it.).

Our congregation is under censure by our Synod (the regional body--in this case Missouri and Kansas). Under the terms of our censure, we're not allowed to serve on committees of the synod or churchwide expressions. Which does leave us feeling a little cut off, and provides a great excuse to stop paying benevolence to the Synod--which I'm proud to say we have not done. We have done our best to stay in relationship with the larger church, and I'd say it has been mainly mutual. Bishop Mansholt has been expecially gracious in extending a hand of friendship to Abiding Peace.

But being under censure for eight years kind of sucks, and we'll be glad to have it lifted.

And I will be glad to stop suffering the little indignities that arise so often, especially around the first weekend in June, when the whole Synod meets in Assembly. I'll be glad to receive mail from the larger church addressed to "Rev. Donna Simon." I've been ordained almost nine years; I think it would be nice to be addressed properly. Someone in the Synod office actually works overtime making sure that I know that he or she doesn't recognize my ordination. I get mail addressed to "Ms. Donna Simon." If you left off the "Ms.," I'd just think you weren't using titles, and blow it off. But "Ms." says what it is intended to say: "This is the best you're going to get from us."

We submitted a resolution to the Synod Assembly this year, signed by over a hundred people. When it appeared in the Assembly notebook, I notice that my name was one space off of the line at the left margin. This was because they had deleted "Rev." from in front of my name, and hadn't gotten it pulled all the way back to the margin.

We at Shellfish can imagine just how devastating it is to a small congregation (latest reported average Sunday attendance: 18) not being able to serve on a synod committee. But if Bishop Mansholt appreciates their constant presence, who are we (with "bound consciences" scandalized by Miss Simon serving as a pastor without any sign of repentance on her part) to object to welcoming them back fully?

Shrimp (with tip o' the claw to pretty good lutherans) out.

ELCA Congregational Votes Proceeding

Shrimp again. The following message reportedly from ELCA Secretary David Swartling was forwarded to a Shellfish inbox:

I write to update you on the number of congregations that have taken votes to terminate their relationship with the ELCA. This update is based upon information provided to the Office of the Secretary by synods.

As of February 3, we have been advised that 220 congregations have taken votes to leave the ELCA. In 156 congregations, the first vote passed; in 64 congregations the first vote failed. 28 congregations have taken a second vote, all of which passed. (This does not mean that all 28 of these congregations have been removed from the roster because Synod Council approval is required for congregations established by the ELCA and former congregations of the Lutheran Church in America, and, in some cases, the vote is disputed because questions exist regarding the process.)

It also is worthy to note that 16 synods have not reported any congregations that have voted to terminate their relationship with the ELCA.

Shrimp out.

Northeastern Iowa Synod Council Repents!

Shrimp here. According to The Lutheran Study Bible (the one from Concordia Publishing House, not to be confused with Augsburg Fortress' Lutheran Study Bible) "repent" means "turn around."

Early last December Shellfish posted the resolutions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council "repudiating" the ELCA Churchwide Assembly's actions to approve the Social Statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust and the four resolutions on ELCA ministry policies and holding to the unaltered Vision and Expectations at least until the next Synod Assembly, which was to be asked to declare the Synod's "bound conscience." We also posted NE Iowa Bishop Steven Ullestad's pastoral letter written soon after the news of the Synod Council's actions spread.

Last weekend, the very next meeting of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, well, we'll let the good folks of Call to Faithfulness, the reform group that has been working pretty successfully for several years to keep the NE Iowa Synod from succumbing to revisionism, describe it:

The synod Council of the NE Iowa Synod voted to rescind the resolutions it passed in November. You may remember those resolutions, one repudiated the Churchwide votes and called upon the ELCA to do the same. The other expressed the bound conscience of the NE Iowa Synod, seeking to adhere to the 1990 Vision and Expectations. From the firestorm it caused through out the synod and the larger church, it is not too surprizing that the synod council reversed itself. People can stand just so much pressure, then they will turn from the pressure to seek a quieter life. It is hard work being at the center of the maelström, with the winds of discontent swirling about you. Most folk simply cannot stay there for long before the desire to flee takes hold and that which was done is undone.

I do not fault the good folk who serve on the NE Iowa Synod Council. In the weeks following the November council meeting letters, calls, emails and face to face conversations took place pulled back the covering that hides the deep divide we now suffer in the ELCA. For all the talk about ’structured flexibility’ and ‘bound consciences’ that greased the skids of passage in August, we cannot pretend that we are not a deeply divided church. We cannot live as a divided church for long. No organization can survive if its purpose is so compromised in the way we are in the ELCA. We will see more of what we have seen in the NE Iowa Synod Council’s reversal as the ELCA seeks its new equilibrium. Unless approached with the greatest humility and Christlike compassion, the purging of the defeated will continue.

There will be no organized pogroms coming from Higgins Road, no synodical scheme of removal, just the slow, grinding pressure to conform to the new reality of the ELCA. It will come in the Lutheran form of shunning, orthodox clergy and laity ignored as if they do not exist or treated as if they belong to some unenlightened earlier time. It will come in the pop theology of no judgment of any behavior. It will come in the apathy of the majority and the desire to let this storm pass us by and go some other place. It will come when what was once understood to be orthodox Christian faith is set aside in order to maintain ‘peace’ in the church.

Read it all in "The Winter of Our Discontent." Alas, according to comments on ALPB Forum Online, some of the members of the NE Iowa Synod Council affiliated with Call to Faithfulness were unable to attend last weekend's meeting.

Read also the letter from the NW Iowa Synod Council Vice-President Susan Armstrong (try here on the Bishop's son's blog or here on pretty good lutherans or in pdf form on the NE Iowa Synod's website.

Also at pretty good lutherans is a message entitled “Strengthening the Church in Love” from the pastor who introduced the motions to rescind the Synod's Council's actions. Pastor Vince Ramos' rationale:

1. Council members desire to have open and meaningful conversations. The resolutions created barriers to respecting one another and conversation.

I strongly encouraged the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council to create opportunities for conversation instead of resolutions that draw lines in the sand and take our energy and time away from serving the world.

2. The resolution in opposition to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly actions relies on a misinterpretation of the responsibilities each expression (congregation, synod and churchwide) of the church has in serving the world.

Each expression has different responsibilities. A synod does not have the responsibility of creating policy. The 2009 Churchwide Assembly has taken action. Therefore, a synod cannot repudiate or change that action.

Read it all here. We're not sure how this will strengthen the NE Iowa Synod in love, but then we're just not seeing the "love" flowing from the ELCA right now anyway.

Shrimp out...

And the Theme for Lent Is...

Shrimp here. Whether you saw your shadow or not, looks like the ELCA is in for lots more winter. In our inbox yesterday just in time from the ELCA Washington for those who haven't figured out a theme for this Lent..

...Climate Justice

We were invited to share this widely within our networks.

We know -- the Catechism is just so old-fashioned. But it's not a new sexuality statement. Share and enjoy...

Shrimp out.

= = = = = = =

This year the ELCA is teaming up with the National Council of Churches to offer a Lenten Resource exploring Climate Justice and how it relates to each one of us in our daily lives and communities.

The resource is being written with the help of clergy, activists and friends from around the country.

Each week the series will explore a new issue, lifting up stories from around the globe and providing ways that you and your congregation can help address climate change in your own lives.

Here are the topics that will be covered during Lent:
    - Climate change and Health
    - Climate change and Economics
    - Climate change and Development
    - Climate change and Disaster/Migration
    - Climate change and Food Security
    - Holy week reflections on climate justice

If you would like to receive these Lenten reflections and explorations on climate change, please visit http://www.elca.org/advocacy and sign up!

In addition to the Climate Justice series, you will also receive a monthly reflection specifically from the ELCA on caring for creation topics.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/yj6gaxt to download Lenten environmental worship resources, "Creation Waits with Eager Longing." Originally created to accompany the 2009 Living Earth reflection series, you can adapt the resources to best fit your needs.

Blessings,
ELCA Washington Office

The ELCA's Economic Justice

Shrimp here.

2010 set off on the wrong foot for some 500 employees of the ELCA's publishing ministry, reports the pretty good lutherans blog this morning. ELCA observers might keep the following in mind the next time they read ELCA officials addressing "economic justice" issues.

Augsburg Fortress cancels retirement plan

Hundreds of Augsburg Fortress workers and retirees learned over the weekend that their retirement plan is being canceled, according to documents obtained by Pretty Good Lutherans.

"These decisons and actions break our hearts and we apologize, but they are necessary," wrote Beth Lewis, president and C.E.O. of the Minneapolis-based company, in a letter to employees and retirees dated New Year's Eve....

The documents said the retirement plan's assets totaled $8.6 million and estimated its obligations at $24.2 million. If Augsburg Fortress were to declare bankruptcy and sell its assets, "even this drastic measure would not entirely fund the plan's shortfall," the documents said....

Lewis wrote that an estimated 500 individuals are impacted by the termination of the plan, which becomes effective March 5. Monthly benefits to retirees under the plan end March 1. Most plan participants, including retirees, will receive some type a lump sum payment, though not as much as expected.

"Because the plan is severely underfunded, there is not enough money to pay the full benefits that plan participants otherwise would have received … ," Lewis wrote. The company's current employees can participate in a 403(b) retirement plan used by many not-for-profits.

Lewis' letter was accompanied by a four page document titled, "Questions and answers regarding termination of the Augsburg Fortress retirement plan."

Augsburg Fortress is incorporated as a separate program unit of the ELCA and maintains a separate retirement plan from the denomination. The ELCA was approached for financial support, but "advised us that it has no obligations or fiduciary duties with respect to the Augsburg Fortress plan," according to the documents.

Shrimp again. We'd ask you to read that last sentence again, but instead we'll quote from the "Questions and Answers Regarding Termination of the Augsburg Fortress Retirement Plan" that Augsburg Fortress included with Ms. Lewis' letter. We'll emphasize a telling sentence:

10. Why can't the ELCA churchwide organization make up for the funding deficiency in the plan?

A. We thoroughly explored options for overcoming the funding deficiency, including seeking support from the ELCA churchwide organization. However, the ELCA churchwide organization advised us that it has no obligations or fiduciary duties with respect to the Augsburg Fortress plan. Augsburg Fortress is a separately incorporated program unit of the ELCA and our retirement plan is separate from any plan sponsored by the ELCA.

"No obligations or fiduciary duties." Shrimp'll recall that the next time we hear a plea to not "withhold" mission support.

The Q&A reveals that the retirement plan's termination came about for the same reasons it happens in other companies, except by being an arm of the church there are no government protections for employees:

4. How did the plan become underfunded?

A. The plan has been underfunded for approximately nine years. Nonetheless, it appeared until recently to have enough funding to provide benefit payments to plan participants for many years. However, all of that changed as a result of the dramatic downturn in the financial markets in 2008 and early 2009. The continued payment of plan benefits during the downturn compromised the opportunity for the plan assets to regain sufficient ground to sustain the plan during the ensuing market recovery. Other factors that contributed to the underfunding include lower interest rates and adjustments to mortality tables.

14. Did Augsburg Fortress make all the required contributions to the plan?

A. There are no required plan contributions. The plan states that Augsburg Fortress "shall make such contributions to the Fund from time to time, as it considers advisable." Nonetheless, Augsburg Fortress made contributions to the plan in every year when Augsburg Fortress did not have an operating loss, and even in many years in which it did have an operating loss. For example, this year, Augsburg Fortress made a $900,000 plan contribution despite expected operating losses.

Shrimp finds it interesting that a church employer's promise to set aside money today for its employees future benefit -- that's what a pension is supposed to be, no? -- is not a "required contribution." Sure, it's an all-too-common practice in other enterprises, but we like to imagine that a church agency would treat its employees better than profit-seeking corporations. Perhaps we're just too idealistic on Shellfish.

Read the entire report here, including CEO Beth Lewis's entire letter to Augsburg Fortress employees with its included Q&A.

And lest you think we're gloating, no, we're not. Shrimp's library is filled with books and materials from Augsburg Fortress and its predecessors, Fortress Press, Augsburg Publishing House, Wartburg Press, Muhlenberg Press, Augustana Book Concern, etc. The continuing collapse of Augsburg Fortress is a great sadness to those who appreciate the nearly two centuries of Lutheran church publishing houses providing resources for pastors, Sunday Schools (for children and adults), and all those who have sought to teach and express Lutheranism in this un-Lutheran land of North America.

Shrimp out.

ELCA News' "Merry Christmas" Announcement

Shrimp here. In North America, it is mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve.

The perfect time for the ELCA News Service, "a service for journalists and members of the news media," to take one last shot at the evening news. Who knows, maybe the local TV news crew will pick up the urgent message that just came over the wire, and the mention of "Lutheran Church" will inspire a few folks to show up for one of the Christmas Eve services tonight at a nearby ELCA congregation.

Yes, and as the visitor is greeted at the door, she mentions to the pastor that the ELCA was mentioned on the Channel 4 News. "Oh, really!" replies Pastor Inkvist. "What was the story?"

San Francisco Lutheran Congregation to Celebrate First 'Feast of Hope'
09-283-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- St. Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco, will celebrate its first "Feast of Hope" worship Dec. 27, in celebration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly decision directing changes in ministry policies.

The Rev. Anita Hill, pastor of St. Paul-Reformation Church, Minneapolis, will serve as guest preacher.

Since 1995 the congregation has held a "Feast of Expulsion" in late December, commemorating the date when the congregation was expelled from the ELCA, according to a news release from the congregation.  

On Dec. 31, 1995 St. Francis was removed from the ELCA's roster of congregations for calling ministers in same-gender relationships, a violation of ELCA policy.

The 2009 Churchwide Assembly directed changes to ELCA ministry policies that created the possibility that people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships could serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers. The assembly also adopted a social statement on human sexuality.

St. Francis members were among many others in the ELCA who worked for years for changes in ELCA ministry policies.

The Rev. Robert M. Goldstein, who serves as lead pastor at St. Francis, said the congregation council began discussions about changing the emphasis for the congregation's annual observance.

"We weren't sure what to name it," he said in an interview. "Since the congregation on the whole is very hopeful, and we're still in a holding pattern until we see the details in the (ELCA) Church Council's reformulation of polices, we thought 'hope' was the best and most accurate name to give this."

When it meets in April 2010, the ELCA Church Council is expected to consider revised policy documents implementing the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. The proposed policies will be reviewed by the ELCA Conference of Bishops before any council action.

Goldstein said the congregation wants its event to be "forward-looking."

"It's time to accent the future now, and not live in the past," he said. Most of the congregation's approximately 135 members will likely attend Sunday's event, Goldstein said.

While members at St. Francis celebrate hope for the future, there are some congregations in the ELCA that do not agree with the assembly's decisions.  Many cite biblical authority as their reasons. David D. Swartling, ELCA secretary, reported that as of Dec. 16, about 135 of the ELCA's nearly 10,400 congregations have taken first votes since the assembly to leave the denomination. Ninety-seven congregations achieved the required two-thirds vote and are moving forward in the process; 38 failed to achieve two-thirds.

Goldstein said members of congregations who disagree "are my brothers and sisters as we disagree over something that St. Francis' brothers and sisters feel very strongly about." He said he and St. Francis' members recognize others are in pain over the decisions, but noted many at St. Francis have been in pain for years because of the longstanding policies.

Goldstein added that he hopes one day there can be a "rite of reconciliation" for St. Francis and the ELCA.

---

Information about St. Francis Lutheran Church is at http://www.st-francis-lutheran.org on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news

Merry Christmas! Shrimp

Stirring Things Up

Shrimp here. "Stir up your power, O Lord, and come," begins the the Prayer of the Day on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. (We've uses the LBW version here; ELW updates "O Lord" to "Lord Christ.") That was Sunday.

Tuesday came the ELCA News headline, "Lutheran Bishops Offer Ideas to White House to Stir Economy." Begins the article,

In a Dec. 16 letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, a caucus of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) bishops acknowledged economic challenges and suggested opportunities for job creation. The group met with Martha Coven, special assistant to the president for mobility and opportunity policy, to present the letter and discuss the status of hunger and economic insecurity in the United States.

In the letter the bishops wrote, "We see firsthand the effects that unemployment has on individuals, families and communities. While we are there to counsel and comfort, we are also committed to encouraging policies that can spur job growth."

The bishops' letter outlined a number of propositions for job creation such as small business development, job retraining, green jobs for low-income people and expanding public service programs.

The caucus asked for particular consideration of sustainable development for low-income communities, as well as sustaining the environment and people living in poverty through investments in green jobs and clean energy technology.

Go ahead, read the news release here. We'll wait...


Stirred up yet? Remember, these are the same church leaders who are unable to publicly express a common word about the proper context for the expression of human sexuality. Leaders in a church that just let 40 of its own employees go in the midst of it's own financial panic. Here's their letter offering economic advice to the President of the United States :

U.S. Hunger and Povery Caucus
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God's work. Our Hands.

December 16, 2009

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

We are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's U.S. Hunger and Poverty Caucus, whose purpose is to mobilze biships of the ELCA to speak publicly and prophetically about the problem of hunger and poverty in America and influence legislation aimed at reducing them. We write to you with acute awareness of the effects of the current recession on individuals and families struggleing to make ends meet. We also know that you and your Administration have given particular attention to job creation and the economy in recent days and weeks.

As a church, we are committed to talking with people about the challenges they face in their work, as well as counseling and supporting those who are unemployed, underemployed, and undergoing job transitions. We see first had the effects that unemployment has on individuals, families, and communities. While we are there to counsel and comfort, we are also committed to encouraging policies that can spur job growth. There is no replacement for a good job.

With that in mind, we add our collective voice to the current national discussion about jobs and job creation. We call for the following: public and private sector partnerships to create jobs and job rethention programs; national economic policies that support and advance the goal of low unemployment;

Shrimp can't resist an interruption here: Ya think ELCA Advocacy will now recommend lowering the minimum wage?

and skill and language enhancement training that will enable the most vulnerable, including new immigrants, to become beter prepared for jobs.

As you consider a myriad of ideas, we ask that you give particular consideration to the following two overriding principles:

• Sustainable development of low-income communities. In many low-income communities — rural and urban — disinvestment and neglect have taken their toll. In contrast, there are examples of sustainable community economic development that take into account the overall health and welfare people, the environment, and the local economy. Such an approach creates jobs, prepares people for work, generates income that is re-circulated several times in the community, and sustains and renews environmental resources, all for the sake of a community's long-term viability
• Sustaining the environment and people living in poverty through investments in green jobs and clean energy technology. The growth of economic activity during the twentieth century, and the industrialization and consumerism that fueled it, radically changed the relationship between humans and the earth. Investment in clean energy technology and the jobs that such investment create can serve the dual purpose of lifting individuals and families out of poverty and repairing our finite, fragile ecological system upon which human and all other life depends.

We have also attached a complilation of more specific ideas, gathered from among the ELCA's network of 18 state public policy offices.

Shrimp, interrupting again. Those ideas can be found here along with this letter.

Thank you for your consideration, and please contact Robert Francis in the ELCA Washington Office to follow up on this letter or any of the attached Suggestions.

Sincerely,

Bishop Michael Burk, Southeastern Iowa Synod

Bishop Jessica Crist, Montana Synod

Bishop Robert Driesen, Upper Susquehanna Synod

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Northeastern Ohio Synod

Bishop Marcus Lorhmann, Northwestern Ohio Synod

Bishop James Mauney, Virginia Synod and Convener of the Domenstic Ready Bench

Bishop David Zellmer, South Dakota Synod.

Shrimp again, wishing you a blessed last days of Advent. Stir up...

Shrimp out.

Evangelical Lutheran leader suggests Bible not the final authority (OneNewsNow.com)

Shrimp here.

That's the AP's headline, by the way, not ours. The article (go ahead, click and read; Shellfish isn't an AP agent) doesn't say a whole lot about ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson's, uh, responses to questions at the ELCA's Town Hall Forum held in what appeared to be the former Augsburg Fortress store on the ground level at The Lutheran Center late yesterday afternoon. But you can judge for yourself now that the Town Hall Forum's webcast is posted at that link for "on-demand viewing."

Meanwhile, here's the ELCA News take on the Forum. Shrimp out.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Addresses Variety of Subjects in Town Hall Forum

09-274-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) hosted a "Town Hall Forum" here Dec. 6, fielding a variety of questions on topics such as leadership, mission, evangelism, anti-racism and racial justice matters, funding, churchwide staff reductions and actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson responded to 19 questions -- posed by a live audience and members watching online -- during the hour-long forum. Carlos Peña, ELCA vice president, Galveston, Texas, introduced Hanson and posed questions from viewers.

Hanson had said he wanted to use the forum to speak directly to members about priorities for the 4.6 million-member ELCA, look forward and share stories about mission. He also promised to host similar forums in the future.

ELCA Communication Services, which managed the forum along with ELCA Information Technology staff and others, reported the online video player for the forum was launched 3,148 times, with 2,205 unique viewers. Top viewership was in Minnesota, Illinois and Florida. Viewers in several foreign countries also watched, the report said.

The forum was held as some ELCA congregations are considering leaving the denomination or withholding finances as a response to the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

That assembly directed changes to ministry policies, creating the possibility for people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as clergy and professional lay workers. The directive has caused some disagreement in the ELCA.

Hanson asked members to continue to discuss the assembly's actions and include those with differing opinions in those conversations; respect other points of view; and remain united as the ELCA.

He addressed congregations that are redirecting or withholding funds to register disagreement with the assembly's actions.

"Let me tell you when that line is cut, mission and ministry is diminished throughout the world and throughout this church," he told the forum audience.

He said the ELCA is a church where all people "can teach and preach" with the integrity of their convictions on sexuality matters. The ELCA is also welcoming people who "are coming to faith or being renewed in their faith" because of the assembly's actions, Hanson said.

"We can be faithful Lutheran Christians and live with that tension in the same church body. Wouldn't it be wonderful if that became our witness?" he said.

He said the concept of "bound conscience" remains a question for many, and there should be an "open" conversation about it. He added that "we live under the authority of Scripture," but members must keep asking each other "What does that mean?"

Hanson also commented on other topics:

+ Leadership: He urged leaders to focus on the complete picture of the ELCA through "a wide-angle lens" versus focusing on human sexuality issues. ELCA leaders and members need to encourage each other in their ministries, Hanson said.

+ Mission: Every synod should convene leaders to study how "vibrant ministries can happen in congregations," he said. Directors of evangelical mission are being placed in synods to help congregations grow as centers for mission, he said.

+ Anti-racism education and racial justice: Hanson said two full-time churchwide positions will be combined into one. That doesn't diminish the churchwide organization's commitment in this area, he said. He invited the audience to advise him on the new job description. Hanson also said that the churchwide organization is building groups to oversee churchwide anti-racism work, and to work with synods and congregations.

+ Multicultural and ethnic-specific ministries: Hanson reported that 13 new congregations will be planted in 2010 in multicultural, ethnic-specific communities throughout the ELCA. The ELCA Mission Investment Fund provided grant funds to make this possible, he said. Hanson also said the ELCA cannot use multicultural, ethnic-specific communities as "pawns" in a struggle over sexuality. He said the ELCA "needs to sustain these vibrant ministries."

+ ELCA restructuring: A task force has been appointed to study church structures and relationships throughout the ELCA, and how changes that have taken place since the church was formed in 1988. Hanson said he was less concerned about structure than he is about mission. "We're in that study now. I can guarantee you that it will not be a top-down decision. It will be a conversation to which we invite the church."

+ Ecumenical and global relationships: The presiding bishop said that since the churchwide assembly, the ELCA has been working specifically to tend relationships with other churches in the United States and globally.

Hanson said he hopes that in the next eight years, the ELCA can train 1,000 evangelists to help the church grow, informed by global companion churches. He also urged congregations to study the ELCA's social statements alongside real-life social challenges, such as health care.

---

Video of the "Town Hall Forum" is at http://www.elca.org/townhall on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog

Northeastern Iowa Synod Bishop's Pastoral Letter

Shrimp here, with a tip o' the claw to Erik Ullestad's koinonia blog, where he posts a pastoral letter from Northeastern Iowa Synod Bishop Steven Ullestad. (Yes, they're related -- the Bishop is the Blogger's father.) The letter is in regard to the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council's actions (posted here and here) on actions of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Shrimp out.

= = = = = = = = = =

December 4, 2009

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Grace to you and peace in this season of Advent anticipation and hope.

At its November 14, 2009 meeting, the synod council passed two resolutions in response to the actions of the churchwide assembly votes on ministry policies and the social statement on Human Sexuality. These resolutions were passed after thoughtful conversation by a majority vote. The resolution addressing the "bound conscience" clause of the churchwide resolutions was adopted by a vote of 10 in favor, 5 opposed and 1 abstention. The memorial requesting that the ELCA church council repudiate and rescind the actions of the churchwide assembly passed by a vote of 8 in favor, 6 who were opposed and 2 abstentions. Both resolutions have been sent to all rostered persons in our synod.

We have received several responses to the actions of the synod council. There are those who are grateful for the resolutions and others that are experiencing deep pain due to the votes. Some are asking questions about the authority of the synod council to pass such resolutions while many are asking about the implications for local congregations in the call process, the candidacy committee and the decisions that are made by the bishop. The resolutions test the implications of the churchwide decisions for our synod. I have been asked by those who oppose the decisions and by those who support the decisions to "make a ruling" in this regard. I have chosen not to do so for the following reasons.

We are Lutherans. We believe that the Christian faith and the implications of the Gospel have not simply been given to the church through an unbroken chain charted back to St. Peter. We believe that the Gospel and its implications for our daily lives have been given to all who confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Consequently, it is the calling of the people of God and not the bishop or Conference of Bishops to determine the ethics of the church. That is why we engage the whole church in the development of social statements and have votes by those who have been elected by the people, the laity and pastors of the churchwide assembly and synod council, in order to determine the policies of the church. An individual bishop, The Conference of Bishops, any unit of the churchwide office and the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA have no legislative authority in this regard. It is the vote of the people that makes this determination.

The people of God, assembled in Minneapolis, determined that local congregations would decide whether or not they wished to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable couples who are in life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships. The church, gathered at the churchwide assembly, also decided to allow for "structured flexibility" in determining whether or not persons in such relationships could be approved for ordination and serve as pastors. The language of the resolutions makes provision for the "bound conscience" of "any congregation, candidacy committee, synod or bishop.”

In the same way that some synods and congregations have voted in the past to be "Reconciling in Christ" synods or congregations, our synod council has voted to continue the traditional standards for ordination and the calling of a pastor. This resolution will be brought to the 2010 Synod Assembly for consideration.

Our synod will now be engaged in conversations about what this means for our life together. What is meant by the churchwide assembly’s action that allows for the bound conscience of a candidacy committee and a synod? Is the action of the synod council and potential action of the synod assembly, a higher authority than the local congregation's authority to call any pastor that it chooses who is on the roster of the ELCA? Is a decision of the synod council or synod assembly a higher authority than the bound conscience of any individual that is serving on the candidacy committee? Standards of discipline for rostered persons are churchwide policies and not synodical. Does the action of the synod council add to, change or challenge those policies, or is it subservient to them?

The resolution passed by the synod council "encourages" the synod bishop to maintain the traditional standards for the roster. If a congregation chooses to call a pastor in a "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same gender relationship", does the bishop have the authority to refuse to sign such a call? If a bishop's signature on a letter of call simply "attests" to an ELCA congregation calling an ELCA pastor and does not indicate an approval or appointment by the bishop, on what basis would a bishop not sign a call? If a bishop’s “bound conscience” would be the basis for such a decision, is that a greater power than a congregation’s call?

My concern continues to be the theology of the church in the midst of this very important conversation. I have asked that we consider a Lutheran understanding of scripture, the manner in which we embrace dialectical tension in our theology and the importance for any consideration to be grounded in scripture and the theology of the church.

I believe that pastors, whether serving in the office of bishop or in congregations, are the "spiritual parents" for the community of faith. As that parent for our synod, it is important for me to allow the family to be engaged in this conversation within certain parameters. I will not solve this problem for our synod or church I will help to maintain the boundaries of the conversation, reminding us of our theology, the implications for the eighth commandment, and the powerful witness of our oneness in Christ in the midst of difficult and challenging times.

Families have been destroyed because they could not find a way to have a conversation on the topic of homosexuality. This is our opportunity to provide a witness to them about how we can remain one in Christ, share our deep faith convictions and remain together for the sake of Christ's mission in the world.

It is my fervent prayer that we will continue to trust the people of God with making decisions about the ministry of their congregations and our church. We remember together that there is nothing that will separate us from the love of God, that our unity in Christ is greater than any disagreement and that none of us will do anything to injure or weaken the remarkable mission of our church. I have no question, that the depth and breadth of that mission is unmatched. I will be working to continue to strengthen our church even further.

Thank you for joining me in that calling.

Your Partner in Mission,
The Rev. Dr. Steven L. Ullestad
Bishop

Were You Invited to the ELCA Town Hall Forum?

Shrimp here. Sunday's Bears game starts at 1:00 pm EST; the Vikings start at 8:20 pm.

Shrimp out.



Dear friend,

Advent greetings to you! I am pleased to invite you to participate in an online Town Hall Forum with ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson on Sunday, December 6.

The hour-long forum begins at 5:30 p.m. EST (4:30 p.m. CST) in a live Web cast.

Here’s how you can participate:

• Watch the event via live stream video at www.elca.org/townhall
• Log in to chat and post questions while watching the live streaming video
• Post comments using Facebook Connect
• Tweet about the event using the hashtags #ELCA #BishopHanson
• Gather members of your congregation for a viewing party

I hope you’ll join us in this unique opportunity to talk with Bishop Hanson about the mission and ministry of this church.

Sincerely,

Kristi Bangert
Executive Director, Communication Services
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

P.S. Tell friends and family about this first-ever event and encourage them to tune in.

Visit http://www.elca.org/faithfulmission for a video message, bulletin insert and more.

Northeastern Iowa Synod Council Expresses Bound Conscience

A RESOLUTION ON THE "BOUND CONSCIENCE" OF THE NORTHEASTERN IOWA SYNOD WITH RESPECT TO CHANGES IN MINISTRY POLICIES

WHEREAS, The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has adopted 4 Recommendations on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23; CA09.05.24; CA09.05.26; and CA09.05.27), and

WHEREAS, CA09.05.23 states "that in the implementation of any resolutions on ministry policies, the ELCA commit itself to bear one another’s burdens, love the neighbor, and respect the bound consciences of all", and

WHEREAS, CA09.05.27, in the 2nd "RESOLVED" states "that this church, because of its commitment to respect the bound consciences of all, declare its intent to allow structured flexibility in decision-making regarding the approving or disapproving in candidacy and the extending or not extending of a call to rostered service of a person who is otherwise qualified and who is living or contemplates living in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship", and

WHEREAS, the 5th "WHEREAS" introducing CA.09.05.27 states, "other members, congregations, candidacy committees, and synods of the ELCA acknowledge those gifts and skills for ministry, but believe that this church must maintain an expectation of celibacy for any gay or lesbian person, whether or not that person is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and thus believe that this church cannot call or roster people in such relationships" and

WHEREAS, the use of "structured flexibility" is portrayed in the "Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies" as presented to the Churchwide Assembly on lines 488 – 498 of the Pre-Assembly Report in the following manner:
"To choose structured flexibility does not imply that same-gender-oriented people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships would be able to serve everywhere in this church. The existing discernment processes for approval and call already assume that synods, bishops, candidacy committees, rostered leaders, and congregations will make decisions in keeping with their own conscience and convictions. If structured flexibility were added to the process, this assumption would still protect any congregation, candidacy committee, synod, or bishop from having to violate bound conscience by approving, calling, commissioning, consecrating, or ordaining anyone in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship. Similarly, a structured flexibility process would protect the decisions of a congregation, candidacy committee, synod, or bishop who concludes that mission would be served best by approving or calling a particular candidate or rostered leader who is in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship." (bold added), and

WHEREAS, it is evident from these portions of the materials adopted and presented at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly that the "all" whose "bound conscience" the actions of the assembly have committed the ELCA to honor include "synods", and that this "bound conscience" includes the ability to choose not to approve, call, commission, consecrate, or ordain someone in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, and

WHEREAS, the "bound conscience" of the Northeastern Iowa Synod can most clearly be determined by the actions taken at synod assembly, and

WHEREAS, actions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly in 2004 (SA04.06.9), 2005 (SA05.06.38), 2007 (SA07.06.33, SA07.06.36, SA07.06.38 & SA07.06.41), and 2009 (SA09.06.15 & SA09.06.18) have declared the position of the Northeastern Iowa Synod to be that "Marriage, an institution ordained by God, is the life-long union of one man and one woman for the creation of human life and for their mutual love and care… Sexual intercourse is part of the vocation of marriage and is misused in any other context" (SA04.06.9); have opposed any changes in the church’s teaching concerning marriage and sexuality (SA04.06.9, SA09.06.15); and have opposed any changes in the ELCA’s standards for pastors and other rostered leaders as expressed in the 1990 documents "Vision and Expectations" and "Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline" (SA05.06.38, SA07.06.36, SA07.06.38, SA07.06.41 & SA09.06.18); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, recognizing the past actions of the Northeastern Iowa Synod Assembly as evidence of the Northeastern Iowa Synod’s strongly-held views with respect to the approving, calling, commissioning, consecrating, or ordaining of one in a publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationship, determines that the standards for rostered ministry as outlined in the 1990 documents, "Vision and Expectations" and "Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline" shall remain in effect for the Northeastern Iowa Synod, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council encourage the Northeastern Iowa Synod Candidacy Committee and the Office of Bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod to continue to abide by such standards for rostered ministry in the Northeastern Iowa Synod during the period leading up to the 2010 Synod Assembly, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council recommends the following Continuing Resolution to the 2010 Synod Assembly of the Northeastern Iowa Synod:
S14.02 A10 In addition to the standards for ordained ministers in the current "Vision and Expectations" as adopted by the ELCA Church Council, this synod shall continue to maintain this expectation from "Vision & Expectations" (1990) in its candidacy process and in its standards for pastors and other rostered leaders:

Ordained ministers, whether married or single, are expected to uphold an understanding of marriage in their public ministry as well as in private life that is biblically informed and consistent with the teachings of this synod. The expectations of this synod regarding the sexual conduct of its ordained ministers are grounded in the understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that ordained ministers are to live in such a way as to honor this gift. Ordained ministers are expected to reject sexual promiscuity, the manipulation of others for purposes of sexual gratification, and all attempts of sexual seduction and sexual harassment, including taking physical or emotional advantage of others. Single ordained ministers are expected to live a chaste life. Married ordained ministers are expected to live in fidelity to their spouses, giving expression to sexual intimacy within a marriage relationship that is mutual, chaste, and faithful. Ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships.

Northeastern Iowa Synod Council "Repudiates" CWA Actions

A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE ACTIONS OF THE 2009 CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY

WHEREAS, the 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA has adopted the social statement, "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust", and

WHEREAS, in Part IV (lines 620 – 628 in the Pre-Assembly Report) this statement reads:
The historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions have recognized marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman, reflecting Mark 10: 6–9: "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one put asunder." (Jesus here recalls Genesis 1:27; 2:23–24.), and

WHEREAS, in Part IV (lines 740 – 744, as amended, of the Pre-Assembly Report) it reads:
Recognizing that this conclusion differs from the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions, some people, though not all, in this church and within the larger Christian community, conclude that marriage is also the appropriate term to use in describing similar benefits, protection, and support for same-gender couples entering into lifelong monogamous relationships, and

WHEREAS, the statement then goes on to treat these two positions and the variants within them as of equal validity, on the basis of the "conscience-bound beliefs" of those who hold them (Part IV, lines 809 – 868 of the Pre-Assembly Report), and

WHEREAS, on this same basis of the "conscience-bound lack of consensus in this church" (lines 452 – 453 of the Report and Recommendation on Ministry Policies in Part V of the Pre-Assembly Report) the resolutions on ministry policies (SA09.05.23 – 24 – 26 & 27) were adopted, and

WHEREAS, neither the Social Statement nor the Recommendation on Ministry Policies present an argument based on Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and with the aid of sound reason either to reject what is admitted to be the position of the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions based on Scripture or to accept a position which is admitted to be contrary to the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions, and

WHEREAS, the Confession of Faith of the ELCA (Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution) commits the ELCA to accept the canonical Scriptures as the authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith and life, and to accept the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church as a true witness of the Gospel and valid interpretations of the faith of the Church, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council, repudiate the decisions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in adopting the social statement "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" and the 4 Resolutions on Ministry Policies (CA09.05.23 – 24 – 26 & 27) as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council memorialize the ELCA Church Council to repudiate these actions as violations of the Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 of the ELCA Constitution, refuse to implement these actions, and begin the process to overturn these decisions at the 2011 Churchwide Assembly.

The Presiding Bishop's Pastoral Letter

Shrimp here. In case you've not seen ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson's Advent pastoral letter that was released mid-November, here it is below. It's is, as we know now, the opening shot for his "Town Hall Forum" this Sunday afternoon at 4:30 (CST), where "Bishop Hanson will be taking questions from a live audience and online viewers." We may say more about that later. But first, the Presiding Bishop's letter.

An open letter to ELCA members: Standing together in God's grace

Sisters and brothers in Christ of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,

I greet you with the words of the apostle Paul to the Romans: "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:1-2a).

Where does the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) stand today? We stand together in God's grace, but we are not standing still. We proclaim Jesus Christ and are fully engaged in this mission by actively caring for the world that God loves. God's mission is serious work that calls for serious commitment. We bring all that we are -- especially our rich diversity, our shared tradition and even our disagreements -- in service of God's mission.

We go forward in this mission trusting that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Evidence abounds of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us and through us:

• Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Naples, Fla., recently purchased land for new ministry center. They also convened ELCA partners, seminaries, synods, and churchwide staff to envision together a vibrant, evangelical and multicultural Lutheran presence in southwestern Florida.


• Our new directors of evangelical mission, based in synods, are trained and ready to serve ELCA congregations that they might continue to grow as evangelical centers for mission.


• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi told Global Mission colleagues traveling in the region that they are ready to deepen their relationship with the ELCA so that together we can more generously and faithfully respond to malaria, HIV and AIDS. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, ELCA coordinator for the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, writes, "The ELCA, especially through the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, will be part of a movement that changes the world. It's certainly going to change Malawi."


• In summer 2009, 37,000 youth, young adults and adult leaders attended the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans. They spread throughout the city, wearing orange t-shirts in a witness of service that touched the hearts of residents and has them talking still.


• ELCA chaplains Michael Lembke, Richard Brunk and Paul Dirksmeyer bore witness to God's mercy at Fort Hood, Texas. They ministered to families, friends and an entire nation grieving the tragic shootings at the nation's largest military base.

These are just a few examples. Think of the signs of the Holy Spirit being poured out in your life and in your congregation! Thanks be to God for this continued outpouring of the Spirit among us.

When the ELCA Church Council faced the reality of reduced financial resources for mission, it made a difficult but necessary 10 percent budget reduction.  The decision, however, does not diminish our resolve and commitment to engage together in God's mission for the life of the world.

We will engage Christ's mission with everyone who stands together in God's grace, using the rich gifts that the Holy Spirit has poured into our lives:

• Together we will proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord in worship spaces and workplaces, in online conversations and around kitchen tables.


• Together we will develop new ministries in every synod in multicultural communities and among people living in deep poverty.


• Together we will raise up and welcome faithful, wise and courageous leaders by sustaining vital and creative seminaries and campus ministries.


• Together we will send missionaries to accompany new and growing Lutheran churches throughout the world.

I invite you to deepen this conversation with me in an online town hall forum on Sunday, December 6, at 4:30 p.m. (CST); check www.elca.org for more details.

The apostle Paul wrote that where the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us, hope abounds and hope does not disappoint us (Romans 5:4-5). What a wonderful promise this is as we now enter the season of Advent! With our hope in Christ, we face the future together as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving the world that God so loves.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Visit http://www.elca.org/faithfulmission for a video message and more.

Shrimp again. If you go to the "Faithful Mission" page (apparently that's what follows a now-completed "Faithful Journey") you'll find not only a link to this letter, but a video message from Bishop Hanson.

Which gives us the opportunity to introduce pretty good lutherans, a blog sub-titled "ELCA News in Real Time" by the veteran religion reporter Susan Hogan. pretty good lutherans caught Shrimp's notice in October with Ms. Hogan's reports of the layoffs at the ELCA's headquarters in Chicago.

Sifting through the blog, it appears that pretty good lutherans is generally sympathetic to the ELCA's revisionists and the leadership of the Presiding Bishop. Ms. Hogan's also a fair reporter -- that is, she gives a story as straight as she can, but doesn't pretend that she's always completely impartial -- who doesn't like to be fed evasive pablum by those she's reporting on. So when she writes about the Presiding Bishop's Advent communications to the ELCA, you should sit up and notice that she begins her own "letter" to the PB,

Dear Bishop Hanson:

Whomever is writing scripts for you, make him or her stop.

Your denomination needs your authentic self back, the one that spoke with heartfelt compassion from the national assembly after the vote to welcome partnered gays and lesbians into the church’s ministries.

Where did that bishop go? Who is this canned persona in the video released this week?

Why dodge issues that church members most need to hear about? For instance, what is your plan for dealing with racism in the wake of the elimination of two staff positions responsible for addressing this issue?

Etc. Really, ya gotta read it all here.

Shrimp out.