January 6, 2004

CHICAGO - Top Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) news stories of 2003 included the church's response to the war in Iraq, the election of the ELCA presiding bishop as president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and a series of extraordinary meetings between ELCA leaders and international church and political leaders. In addition, actions of the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly - affirming a timeline for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality, and adoption of an evangelism strategy and social statement on health and health care - were among the key news stories involving the church in 2003. Top stories were determined by the ELCA News Service, a component of the ELCA Department for Communication, based here at the ELCA churchwide offices.

ELCA News provides news about the church's mission and ministry to the public and religion media. In 2003 the staff consisted of John R. Brooks, director; Frank F. Imhoff, associate director; Melissa O. Ramirez, associate director; Brenda G. Williams, editorial assistant for production and media relations; and Jessica A. Crane, student intern from Concordia College, an ELCA higher education institution in Moorhead, Minn.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, was the subject of much news in 2003. Already on record as opposing the possibility of a U.S.-led war with Iraq, Hanson told the ELCA Conference of Bishops in March in Charleston, S.C., of his disappointment with President George W. Bush. Bush wouldn't meet with several U.S. religious leaders about their concerns related to the war before it began.

When war did begin, Hanson was in Geneva, Switzerland, meeting with international church leaders on the first part of an ecumenical journey in Europe. From there he addressed the church about the war, saying the U.S. "pre-emptive military strike without the support of the United Nations" was a "sobering moment for this nation and the world."

"In the days and weeks ahead I call on all ELCA members to pray fervently for peace, for the members of our military, and for all who come in harm's way because of this war," Hanson said.

During the same trip, Hanson and a small delegation of ELCA leaders, members and staff, met with Pope John Paul II and the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. Because of safety concerns, the group delayed the portion of the trip to Turkey until 2004. That trip will take them to visit international Orthodox leaders.

In July Hanson was elected to a six-year term as president of the Lutheran World Federation, based in Geneva. In that role Hanson will preside at LWF council meetings and its assembly, and work with the general secretary to speak to the world about matters of concern and LWF ministries. Hanson's term as LWF president - a voluntary position - runs concurrently with his role as ELCA presiding bishop.

The 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly affirmed a timeline adopted in 2001 for a four-year study process exploring questions about homosexuality. Specifically, the 2003 assembly declined to alter the study process timeline. The action meant that the 2005 churchwide assembly will respond to a final report and recommendations from a task force studying whether or not the ELCA should have a policy on blessing same-gender relationships and whether or not people in committed homosexual relationships should be ordained. In 2007 the assembly is expected to act on a social statement on human sexuality. The 2003 Churchwide Assembly adopted a comprehensive evangelism strategy. Its four significant objectives are to call the church to prayer, prepare and renew "evangelical" leaders, teach discipleship, and renew congregations. It also adopted the church's eighth social statement, "Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor," the text of which discusses health and health care, illness and healing from a theological perspective.

The assembly elected Carlos Pena of Galveston, Texas, as vice president, succeeding Dr. Addie J. Butler, Philadelphia. Butler announced earlier she would not seek re-election.

The ELCA News Service determined several other stories as significant in 2003. They are listed in no particular order:

. Poisoning at Maine congregation: Arsenic poisoning killed one and sickened more than a dozen other members of Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church, New Sweden, Maine. Members of the congregation in northeast Maine became nauseated April 27, shortly after drinking coffee and eating sandwiches and sweets at the church. Walter Reid Morrill, 78, died the next day from what Maine health officials identified as arsenic poisoning. A few days later, public health and law enforcement officials ruled the death of Daniel Bondeson, a member of the congregation, to be a suicide and indicated that a note found at his home in Woodland, Maine, linked him and possibly others to the poisoning case. The investigation continues.

. ELCA pastor held in Laos freed: The Rev. Naw-Karl Mua, Light of Life Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn., was released July 9 from a Laotian prison and reunited with his family in St. Paul on July 10. Detained since June 4, he and two European journalists were sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined about $1,100. They were accused of cooperating with "bandits" to kill a security official in a remote northeastern village in Laos, after they entered the country to learn more about alleged human rights abuses and mistreatments of the Hmong people. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Embassy in Laos said the three were released on humanitarian grounds but had to pay damages to the family of a slain village guard as well as fines and court costs. Their release came after more than a month of diplomatic efforts and pressure from international human rights organizations.

. Middle East peace: Among many peace efforts involving the Middle East in 2003, Hanson joined 31 prominent Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders Dec. 2 to announce a new collaborative effort to mobilize broad public support for active U.S. leadership in pursuing peace for Israelis, Palestinians and people in other Arab states. Hanson was the moderator of a news conference and a key spokesperson on the subject at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. In May Hanson visited the Middle East for the first time. He met with the president of Israel, and with the president and prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority.

. Editor held in Zimbabwe, released: Kathleen Kastilahn, a section editor for The Lutheran, the ELCA magazine, and colleagues from Europe and Africa were detained by authorities in Zimbabwe, and released Jan. 28. Kastilahn, Chicago, and as many as seven others were part of a Lutheran World Federation trip to Zimbabwe to report on Lutheran- sponsored aid and development projects. They were detained at their hotel in Zvishavane, 250 miles from Harare, because authorities believed they were operating as journalists without proper accreditation. However, charges against the group were dropped before it appeared in court.

. Restructure plan offered, withdrawn: After considerable discussion within the church, some of which resulted in "broad, often intense critique," Hanson withdrew a restructuring plan Oct. 18, which he had proposed for the ELCA churchwide organization one month earlier. The proposal would have reorganized the churchwide structure of the 5 million-member church effective Feb. 1, 2004. In November, the ELCA Church Council adopted a new process for restructuring, expected to be completed in November 2004.

. ELCA Council cuts churchwide budget twice: To address declines in income to the churchwide organization, the ELCA Church Council in April reduced the 2003 spending authorization for current funds by $1.2 million to $83.6 million. Six employees lost their jobs, 1 person retired, 2 vacant positions were eliminated and contracts for three term employees ended. In November the council reduced the 2004 spending authorization by $2.8 millionto $81.5 million. Eight employees' positions were eliminated or reduced from full-time to part-time status; five staff left voluntarily or took reductions to part-time; and several other vacant positions were cut. Some program funds were cut for 2004 and employees of the churchwide organization were informed they would receive no salary increases.

. Youth Gathering in Atlanta: With the theme, "Do Life! Ubuntu," more than 40,000 teen-aged youth and adult volunteers met in Atlanta in mid- and late-July at the Georgia Dome. Two identical events involved the Lutherans in worship, community service, Bible study and fun.

. Lutherans respond to human needs in wake of Hurricane Isabel and California wildfires: Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), a ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), responded to several disasters in 2003. Key among them were Hurricane Isabel, which struck the U.S. East Coast in September. The storm caused 17 deaths in six states and produced extensive flooding. Through LDR, individuals and congregations worked with ELCA synods, LCMS districts, Lutheran social ministry organizations and interfaith partners to provide disaster response in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. LDR issued about $100,000 in grants to assist California residents affected by wildfires in October. Five counties were affected by the fires, which burned about 750,000 acres and destroyed some 3,600 houses. At least 20 people died.

. Significant deaths: the Rev. Timothy F. Lull, 60, president and professor of systematic theology, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS), Berkeley, Calif., May 20; H.W. Pfennig, Jr., 72, Houston, influential in the merger that created the ELCA, May 18; the Rev. Paul M. Orso, 84, Gwynn Oak, Md., bishop of the Maryland Synod of the former Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and former executive director of Lutheran Social Services (LSS), Washington, D.C., Oct. 22; Betty Lee Nyhus, 72, Edina, Minn., former executive director of Women of the ELCA, Nov. 4; U.S. Sen. Paul M. Simon, 75, Makanda, Ill., former Democratic member of Congress from Illinois, Dec. 9; the Rev. Raymond W. Wargelin, 92, Minneapolis, former president, Finnish Lutheran Church of America (Suomi Synod), Dec. 12; the Rev. Sidney A. Rand, 87, Northfield, Minn., former president of St. Olaf College, Northfield, and U.S. ambassador to Norway, Dec. 16; and the Rev. Michael C. D. McDaniel, 74, Hickory, N.C., former Lutheran bishop of North Carolina, Dec. 18.

ELCA News Service