August 19, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), closed the 2005 Churchwide Assembly with words of thanks, hope and expectations here Aug. 14.

The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, met here Aug. 8-14 at the World Center Marriott and Convention Center. About 2,300 people participated, including 1,015 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly was "Marked with the Cross of Christ Forever."

After asking his wife, Ione, to join him on stage, Hanson thanked the voting members in his closing remarks at the assembly. "I want to say my deep, deep word of gratitude to you, for your work. We have begun, ended and centered each day where we find our unity in Christ around the means of grace," Hanson said.

As a community at the assembly and in the church, Hanson said, "God in Christ through the Holy Spirit gifts us both with unity and diversity. Both are God's gifts, both become our tasks. Our task is to receive the gifts of unity and diversity, to protect them, to deepen them, to enrich them, to express them and to celebrate them."

Whether or not voting members' votes prevailed at the assembly, Hanson said he trusts that voting members "will leave with a renewed sense of hope – hope in God. For our hope is finally not those things for which we hope, but the one in whom we hope," Hanson said. "I trust you are leaving with a sense of hope in Christ that gives you a new sense of expectation for this church," he said. "I hope you go back with a sense of expectancy for the church God is calling us to become, for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the life of the world."

Hanson said he hopes the voting members expect the ELCA to become "a church that will wipe away the tear of everyone who mourns, a church that will not cease to be compassionate until every hungry person is fed, a church that will be persistent in its evangelical pursuit of peace until there is no more violence."

"I have great hope for this church. It has been deepened this week," Hanson said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you for the privilege of this holy calling."

Conference of Bishops Chair Expresses Thanks

The Rev. E. Roy Riley, chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and bishop of the ELCA New Jersey Synod, Hamilton Square, issued a brief statement on behalf of his colleagues following a post-assembly meeting.

"The Conference of Bishops gives thanks to God for this assembly's work – its Spirit-guided wisdom, its joyful celebration of God's grace to this church [and] its bold initiatives for the sake of mission," Riley said.

"We believe this assembly's faithful body of work stands as the best and most appropriate reflection to the church. We will continue our work and deliberation together on all matters addressed by this assembly."

The Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of the church, consisting of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, secretary and presiding bishop.

ELCA News Service
Kirsten H. Boettner is a senior communication major at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.