April 10, 2003

CHICAGO - The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) formally nominated the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, as a candidate for a six-year term as president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

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 April 4-6. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 11-17, in Milwaukee.

The LWF, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a global communion of 136 Lutheran churches in 76 countries. LWF membership includes 61.7 million of the world's 65.4 million Lutherans. The ELCA is an LWF member.

The election for president will take place at the LWF assembly, July 21-31 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Hanson was the nominee for North America when North American LWF assembly delegates met in a January consultation in Denver. However, formal nominations must be made by LWF member churches and not by delegates from a particular region.

If elected, Hanson said his role as LWF president will be in addition to his primary call as ELCA presiding bishop. Noting the duties required of him as presiding bishop, Hanson said he reluctantly agreed to allow his nomination after discussions with many colleagues in the church.

"This is no small decision for this church body, because you are saying this is part of my call," Hanson told the council before it acted. If elected, Hanson said the additional responsibility will not diminish his call as ELCA presiding bishop. It will remind the church that it is "part of a larger Body of Christ," he said.

If elected, Hanson said he will need support to "reconfigure" some of his work as presiding bishop.

Some council members voiced some caution about the nomination while others strongly endorsed it.

Earl L. Mummert, council member, Harrisburg, Pa., said he was concerned that Hanson's roles as president and presiding bishop might present some conflicts of interest on particular issues. He asked if another nominee from the ELCA could be identified.

Grieg L. Anderson, council member, Portland, Ore., said he was excited about "mission priorities" articulated by Hanson and hoped the additional role wouldn't slow Hanson down. The church is on the verge of potentially "earthshaking" decisions, Anderson said, adding he is concerned that Hanson might not be fully focused.

"I see this as a real opportunity to be partner in the global church," said the Rev. Jonathan L. Eilert, council member, Brecksville, Ohio, who said he had reservations about the nomination, but had changed his mind.

"We have been given much in this church and in this country," said the Rev. April Ulring Larson, bishop of the ELCA La Crosse Area Synod, La Crosse, Wis. "God has blessed us with a gifted bishop who should be sent forth." Larson serves as an advisory bishop to the council.

Publishing Relationship, New Church Organization Acted On

The Church Council acted on several other topics of business:

. It noted the enhanced and improved publishing relationship between the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) and Augsburg Fortress (AFP), publishing house of the ELCA. It thanked the Rev. Robert N. Bacher, former executive for administration and executive assistant to the presiding bishop, and the directors of each unit and staff "for the hard work that has gone into making these growing relationships happen." Bacher has served as a consultant to this process.

The action resulted from a 2001 DCM board request that the council review the relationship between Augsburg Fortress and the ELCA churchwide offices, especially DCM. In his third and final report, Bacher said three positive steps have been taken to improve the publishing relationship: development of resource management teams, changes in Augsburg Fortress' procedures at its location in the ELCA churchwide offices here; and changes in attitudes.

"Give the principal leaders the opportunity to deepen the emphasis they have started," Bacher wrote in his report to the council. "Let them communicate to their staffs that they are sincere about and committed to new ways of working. Let the financial viability of AFP work itself out. Nothing else is needed at this time."

. The council recommended the 2003 Churchwide Assembly accept an invitation for the ELCA to join "Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A." The concept grew out of a discussion in which 34 church leaders met in 2001 to gather more Christian faith groups into a forum to work for the unity of the church. The organization's stated purpose "is to enable churches and national Christian organizations to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world."

. The council approved a plan of consolidation and merger of Bethphage, Omaha, Neb., and Martin Luther Home Society, Inc., Lincoln, Neb., two Lutheran social ministry organizations. The ELCA is a corporate member of both organizations.

. It thanked those who served the Institute for Mission in the U.S.A., which recently closed. The institute was started in 1984 by the former American Lutheran Church, an ELCA predecessor church body, to assist the church to develop a theology for mission in United States. The council approved "return of ownership" of the endowment held in the ELCA Mission Investment Fund from the institute to the ELCA Division for Outreach and DCM.

ELCA News Service