October 27, 2004

CHICAGO - The board of the Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) forwarded a report - which includes "provisions for finishing the development of a new primary book of worship" - to the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The council will consider the report for transmission to the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

The DCM board met here Oct. 15-16. The Church Council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between churchwide assemblies. The council meets Nov. 11-15. Assemblies are held every other year; the next is Aug. 8-14, 2005, in Orlando, Fla.

With little discussion, the board acted on the report, "Renewing Worship in the ELCA." It encouraged the council to ask the 2005 Churchwide Assembly to affirm the "steps toward renewal" in the report. In addition to a new book of worship, the board noted the report calls for ongoing development of new worship resources that are "responsive to the changing mission needs of the ELCA."

The report reviews the process of developing new worship materials, lists a series of steps toward renewing worship, includes a rough outline of what might be in a worship book, and lists a "constellation" of worship materials that have been produced or will be produced in addition to a new worship book.

In presenting the report, Dr. Michael Krentz, board member, Bethlehem, Pa., noted that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod just approved a new worship book of its own at its July 2004 convention. Krentz also said when the ELCA Churchwide Assembly considers the Renewing Worship proposal, voting members will not be asked to approve hymns to be included in the book.

Renewing Worship is a project of the ELCA, with primary work being performed by DCM and Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA.

Board Reviews Ethnic Strategies, Discusses Outdoor Ministry Plan

The board reviewed a draft of "Many Voices, Tell the Story, Create the Vision: Build Our Future," a plan of action for ministry in African Descent communities, including African American, African National and Afro-Caribbean communities. The board was invited to comment on the draft, which will be presented to the Church Council for transmission to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly. "We are writing for the whole church, inviting the whole church to help us strengthen and grow the 240 African Descent congregations in the ELCA," said the Rev. Julius Carroll IV, director for African American ministries, ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries (CMM). The draft is available at http://www.aala-online.org/ on the Web, he said.

The board reviewed a draft of "Bridges Across History, Lands and Cultures," a proposed Arab and Middle Eastern ministry strategy, which will also be presented to the council for transmission to the 2005 Churchwide Assembly. "It all started with us way back in Jerusalem," said the Rev. Bassam J. Abdallah, CMM consultant for Arab and Middle Eastern ministries, reminding the board that the community's Christian history dates back some 2,000 years. "Many in the ELCA do not know we exist," he said.

"This strategy will be very important to link our resources, so we can provide our leaders with the resources they need to lead this church," said the Rev. Khader N. El-Yateem, pastor, Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The board authorized the Outdoor Ministry Advisory Committee, in cooperation with the Association of Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Professionals, to continue to move toward formation of a nonprofit corporation "to further outdoor ministries in the ELCA." The board also committed DCM to continue its relationship with outdoor ministries through the new organization, and seek to maintain current funding for outdoor ministries in the 2005 budget. The Rev. Charles A. Woodward, chair of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Committee, Westerville, Ohio, said he hopes to bring to the DCM board in February a proposal to create a nonprofit corporation for ELCA outdoor ministries. The idea to form a nonprofit corporation grew out of a proposal for restructuring the ELCA.

Board members spent considerable time reviewing proposals for restructuring the ELCA churchwide organization and for churchwide governance. Other ELCA boards, commissions and groups related to the ELCA are doing the same this fall. The Church Council will consider these proposals at its November meeting.

ELCA News Service