April 10, 2003

CHICAGO - The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted "Faithful Yet Changing: The Plan for Mission in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" and asked the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to authorize the next steps in the process. The council also recommended 2004 and 2005 budget proposals for the ELCA.

The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council met here Nov. 4-7. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 11-17 in Milwaukee.

Faithful Yet Changing includes a mission statement, a vision statement, a signature phrase and five directions for the ELCA for 2003-2012. The council requested that its planning and evaluation committee continue its discussion - in consultation with the ELCA Cabinet of Executives - on the development of a values statement for the ELCA.

The mission statement adopted by the council is: "Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world."

The plan "will help us realign the resources of the church," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, in his report to the council. About 30,000 of the ELCA's 5.1 million members have been involved in the strategic planning process, he said.

The council asked the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop to "oversee and coordinate" implementation of the strategic plan; provide a report and "proposals to bring the strategic plan to life" for its November 2003 meeting; invite the ELCA's 65 synods to review their planning processes in relation to Faithful Yet Changing; and to encourage the 10,766 congregations of the ELCA to reflect on ways in which the whole church is "summoned to faithful and diligent service together."

Faithful Yet Changing "is a living and breathing document, not something that gets done," said Janet Thompson, Eagan, Minn., council member. The mission statement and signature phrase "are theologically clear and memorable," said Thompson, chair of the planning and evaluation committee.

"We have been a church working hard and thinking strategically in nonlinear ways, yearning for homeostasis while knowing we can't stay where we are, and seeking shared vision for this church's role in God's mission," the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive for administration and executive assistant to the ELCA presiding bishop, said in his report to the council.

In a separate action, the council asked the assembly to acknowledge and affirm the responsibility of the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop to begin in 2004 an "alignment of the churchwide spending plan, staffing and structure" with Faithful Yet Changing.

The council recommended that the 2003 Churchwide Assembly approve an income proposal of $84,310,000 for 2004 and an income proposal of $85,140,000 for 2005, along with a $16.25 million spending plan for the 2004 ELCA World Hunger Appeal and a $16.5 million spending plan for the 2005 ELCA World Hunger Appeal. The council also moved to establish "spending authorization after periodic review" of income estimates.

ELCA News Service