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2009
ELCA Churchwide Assembly
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ELCA Assembly Endorses 
Lutheran Malaria Initiative
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America Churchwide Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Aug. 18 to
support a program that seeks to eliminate malaria in south-Saharan
Africa by 2015.
The Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI), with a fund-raising goal of
$75 million, was endorsed by a vote of 989 to 11. It would create a
shared effort in concert with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
(LCMS), Lutheran World Relief (LWR), and the United Nations Foundation.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the
ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 17-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,045 ELCA voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "God's work. Our hands."
A significant element of LMI will be the purchase of $10 malaria nets to be distributed in Africa.
The Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, director for the LMI and the ELCA
HIV and AIDS strategy, said "this program is God's work." She said the
United Nations approached LWR, inviting the faith-based non-profit to
embrace the project. LWR is jointly supported by ELCA and LCMS.
Elizabeth Gore, executive director for the United Nations'
Partnership Alliances, told voters that malaria affects much of Africa,
spread by mosquitoes. Children are the most vulnerable. A child dies
from it every 30 seconds.
"This is a monumental partnership," said the Rev. John Nunes,
president and CEO, LWR. He pointed to the link between poverty and
malaria. "When you're sick, you can't work. When you can't work, you
can't provide for your family."
Prior to the vote, moving testimony came from voting members
speaking in support of the initiative. Said the Rev. Jan Ruud, of the
ELCA Southwestern Washington Synod, "I served a one-month pastorate in
the African nation of Cameroon. During that month, I had funerals for
four small children, all victims of malaria." He reminded voters the
disease is preventable.
The Rev. Richard T. Wintersteen, of the ELCA Southwestern
Minnesota Synod, said, "It's critical we provide rural clinics for
those infected. If you get the [anti-malaria] medicine, you get well.
If you don't get it, you die."
Joseph Roberts, a voting member from the ELCA Minneapolis Area
Synod, said he supported the initiative because his relatives in Africa
had been malaria victims. "I was inflicted with it myself," he reported.
DeGroot-Nesdahl said six ELCA synods, yet to be identified, will
be invited to serve as pilot synods as the initiative gets underway.
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 ELCA Assembly Begins Discussing
Proposed Social Statement
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) - Speakers opposing the social statement on human
sexuality facing the Evangelical Church in America said they believed
that endorsing the document would abandon the church's reliance on the
Bible and separate the Lutheran denomination from the majority of
Christendom. But those favoring the document to be voted on later this
week insisted that a greater acceptance of gays and lesbians in the
church and its ministry is consistent with the command to care for
one's neighbor and to build trusting relationships.
Comments made by the voting members of the churchwide assembly
opened a one-hour discussion Aug. 18 on the proposed social statement
on human sexuality to be considered later this week.
Dr. Robert Benne, of the ELCA Virginia Synod said the whole
project should be abandoned. "Call off the voting on the social
statement on sexuality which will dramatically change our teaching on
sexuality, from having teachings to having no teachings at all," said
Benne, the first of nearly 30 speakers to approach the microphones when
the assembly met as a "committee of the whole" to discuss, but not
formally amend the 10,000 word statement.
Benne was one of several opponents contending that accepting gays
and lesbians lacks biblical support. "This is God's law and we cannot
change it," said Roy Gibbs of the Northwestern Ohio Synod. "Everyone of
us here today knows what is right and what is wrong. Our father has
written it on our hearts and on our minds."
A core disagreement is whether the proposed statement connects its
proposals to the Bible. Several speakers contend that the Bible never
speaks positively of gay and lesbian relationships. But the Rev. Jay
McDivitt, Rocky Mountain synod, said "It is an incredibly scriptural
and confessional document," and "provides broad scriptural and
confessional work."
Proponents of the statement say the clearly negative views of
homosexuality do not deal with the kind of faithful, committed same sex
relationships addressed in the proposed social statement.
And referring to the statement's concern for the exploitation of
sexuality in society, McDivitt said the document "calls us to confront
a demonic culture that destroys people and exploits the use of
sexuality."
Y.T. Chiu described himself as a "former homophobe" who,
encouraged by his pastor to look at the ELCA documents, changed his
mind about the issue. "Change is good; being a rebel is not bad," said
Chiu, Northeastern Ohio Synod.
The Rev. Craig Werting of the South Dakota Synod urged voting
members of the assembly not to be swayed by the "many stories on both
side of this issue that present emotional appeals."
Anyone who listens cannot help but be moved," he said, "but
emotions themselves do not make an argument. Instead of following the
emotion of the day, sometimes we must put feelings aside and do what
scripture tells us to do."
Formal consideration of the social statement continues on Aug. 19.
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ELCA Assembly to Consider $10 Million Fundraising
Campaign for HIV and AIDS
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
needs to become more knowledgeable and active when it comes to HIV and
AIDS, said Cynthia Halverson, executive director of the ELCA Foundation
and Development Services.
Halverson was among those who spoke to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly about the recommendation to raise $10 million to support the
HIV and AIDS strategy in the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
"This epidemic effects individuals of every age and race, every
gender and sexual orientation and every geographic region of the United
States," said the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, coordinator for the HIV
and AIDS Strategy and the Lutheran Malaria Initiative.
Degroot-Nesdahl said that on average every 9.5 minutes a person in
the United States is infected with HIV, according to the http://www.nineandahalfminutes.org on the Web.
The Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global
Mission, spoke of Women of Hope, a group of women in Nigeria who have
been stigmatized and excluded because of their HIV positive status.
They travel Nigeria and speak about their experiences with HIV and AIDS.
"Women of Hope are not victims," Malpica Padilla said. "They have
chosen to break the silence of stigma." Degroot-Nesdahl also spoke of
the stigma associated with those who are HIV positive or living with
AIDS.
"(Stigma) forces people into fear and isolation and creates the conditions for groups to spread the virus," she said.
When the ELCA Conference of Bishops met in March, 56 members were
tested for HIV, including the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding
bishop.
Halverson added that AIDS is a disease that causes poverty and
intensifies poverty. "This action helped press upon our synods that HIV
and AIDS are a problem for those around the world," Halverson said.
The goal of the strategy is to move the ELCA to becoming an HIV/AIDS "competent" church, Halverson said.
Voting members will vote on the recommendation during the Aug. 19 plenary session.
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 ELCA Assembly Learns of Decrease in
2010-2011 Income Expectations
MINNEAPOLIS (ELCA) -- Budget proposals for the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) reflect a decrease in income expectations for
2010 and 2011. Voting members of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
received the first presentation of budget proposals for the
denomination on Aug. 18.
The assembly will consider a proposed current fund income of
$76.69 million for 2010 -- a 6.4 percent decrease from the 2009
proposal approved by the 2007 assembly. It will also consider a
proposed $18.7 million income goal for the ELCA World Hunger in 2010.
This represents a decrease from the $20 million goal for 2009 approved
by the 2007 assembly.
The assembly will also consider a current fund income proposal of
$75.77 million for the churchwide organization and a World Hunger
income goal of $19 million for 2011.
In presenting the budget proposals to the assembly, the Rev. M.
Wyvetta Bullock, ELCA executive for administration, said budget
development is an exercise in stewardship.
She said the ministries of the church are primarily funded through
mission support, "the single most important form of income" for the
churchwide organization. Mission support makes up 81.2 percent of the
ELCA's current operating income. Mission support funds are provided by
congregations to the 65 synods of the church, which share a percentage
of those funds with the churchwide organization.
Expenditure of the 2010 budget, which totals $95.39 million, is
based on the ELCA's five strategic directions, governance procedures,
coordination and support, said Bullock.
The proposed expenses for 2010 are:
+ $22.7 million for supporting congregations and evangelical outreach
+ $20.7 million for "stepping forward as a public church" in responding to human needs
+ $12.9 million for growing global and ecumenical companionships
+ $12.1 million to bring forth and support faithful, wise and courageous leaders
+ $1.6 million for governance procedures -- decisions made through the Church Council, assembly and program committees
+ $5.4 million for stewardship and mission funding
+ $19.7 million for coordination and support -- includes research and
planning, administrative and organizational service, and communication.
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