November 29, 2005

CHICAGO – A conference here Nov. 18-20 challenged the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to be an "evangelical" Lutheran church across the United States and Caribbean. About 280 ELCA members participated in the "Vocation of the Evangelical Leader" conference, representing various networks in the church.

Three general themes emerged as advice from and for the ELCA's evangelists:

• Help all Lutherans practice telling the story of Jesus Christ and where it intersects with their own faith journeys.

• Equip young Lutherans to be evangelical leaders.

• Equip Lutherans of color to be evangelical leaders.

In 2003 the ELCA adopted an evangelism strategy that outlined four objectives for the church. This conference was the second of four annual events, developing the strategy's second objective – to prepare and renew evangelical leaders, lay and clergy, by reaffirming evangelism as a key priority.

Worship, prayer, speeches, Bible study, plenary and small- group discussions, workshops and a panel presentation marked the conference.

Participants represented ELCA campus ministry, the Christian Education Network, colleges, universities and seminaries, the Latino community, lifelong learning centers, Lutheran Men in Mission, mission development, outdoor ministry, Partners in Evangelism, schools and early childhood ministry, the Synodical Evangelism Network and youth ministry. Several of the networks held meetings before and during the conference.

Twice during the conference participants met in "affinity groups" – first in regional groupings and second in assigned groups designed to facilitate conversation between the various networks represented. They could also choose two of nine "Leadership Lab" workshops with topics such as coaching, online learning, and children and youth as leaders.

Keynote Speakers Focus on Simplicity, Future Church

"There is a hunger in the land," the Rev. Barbara K. Lundblad, Joe R. Engle Associate Professor of Preaching, Union Theological Seminary, New York, said in the first of two keynote addresses.

The hungers she named were insecurity in the midst of downsizing, isolation in the whirlwind of mobility, emptiness in the midst of success, poverty in the midst of plenty, fear in the world of terrorism and random violence, uncertainty in the midst of change, and a sense of abandonment while others get all the attention.

"We must be very cautious of simplistic, dangerous answers to the hurts in people's lives," Lundblad said, but Lutherans have stories that can feed these hungers.

"What in the world do we have to say?" she asked. "What is the positive word that will not be dangerous and simplistic but life-giving?"

"We need to decode the big words" so often associated with Lutheran theology, Lundblad said. Salvation, justification, incarnation, covenant, community, justice, real presence, theology of the cross, creation and grace were a few of her examples.

Lundblad challenged participants to practice putting their faith journeys into simple words and messages.

In the second keynote address, the Rev. David A. Berg, associate pastor, St. John Lutheran Church, Waseca, Minn., presented statistics that showed the average age of an ELCA member is 54 and that almost 97 percent of ELCA members are White. "We are older than the general population, and we are less diverse," he said. "Do we dare project out to 2020 and take a good hard look?"

"What are we going to do today to change everything 15 years from now?" Berg asked. "God has given us the right leaders for the right time here in this room," he said, asking participants to consider "emerging generations."

Berg played a song from a vinyl album; then he played the same song from a cassette tape, from a CD and from an iPod. "It's the same song, but the media we use to experience that song have changed," he said. Some reminisce about the way it used to be, he said, others talk about the higher quality of sound.

"We have a song as old as the Gospels themselves," Berg said. The church must use all the media available to tell the story of Jesus Christ, he said, but don't forget "live and in person."

Each generation hears the gospel using different senses and different processes, Berg said. "What works in one place is not necessarily going to work in the next," he said.

"We are here today because of those who came before us," Berg said. "There are a lot of people cheering us on."

Panel Recalls Conference Themes

The Rev. Paul L. Campbell, executive director, Spirit in the Desert Lutheran Retreat Center, Carefree, Ariz.; Sean Forde, recent graduate of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., awaiting call and ordination in Boca Raton, Fla.; Dr. Carol R. Jacobson, professor of practical theology, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.; and the Rev. Rosemary Sanchez-Guzman, pastor, Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey, El Paso, Texas, took part in a panel discussion near the end of the conference to recall some of the themes they heard.

Campbell said, "An evangelical leader is someone who respects and honors different points of view, experiences and perspectives, who encourages people to see God in their daily lives and who actually seeks change in his or her own faith journey."

Forde said young men "are looking to connect with Jesus Christ, the ELCA and each other." "They want to know how to be in relationship with Jesus Christ for 50 years," he said. "We need you to show us the way."

Jacobson said, "We have to think about growth in ways other than young families staying 30 years." She encouraged Lutherans to go back to Sunday school and adult forums to talk about the Christian faith. "We must know that story and practice telling it."

Sanchez-Guzman said, "There is an urgent need in our country to have a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ and a renewed relationship with each other." Speaking as an immigrant to the United States, she said, "Welcome us. Be hospitable. Change with us. Learn our stories. Share a piece of your bread."

The Rev. John D. Schleicher, assistant to the bishop, ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod, Lansing, served as the event's "listener" and summarized themes he had heard. Connecting with young people was an overarching theme he recognized.

Other themes were to study God's Word, pray, be a friend and "challenge young adults to be evangelists," he said.

"Be not afraid," Schleicher said. "Be bold, even with a trembling heart," he said. "Be prepared to tell God's story."

The Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive for leadership development, ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, hosted the panel discussion.

Planning Begins for Next Event

Event coordinators included the Rev. Brent W. Dahlseng, ELCA director for evangelism, the Rev. Ivis LaRiviere-Mestre, associate director for Latino evangelism and outreach, the Rev. Kathryn Love, associate director for evangelism, and Diane Monroe, acting director for Christian education, all with ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission.

The first objective of the ELCA's evangelism strategy – to call the church to prayer – was the subject of a similar conference in 2004. The third objective – to teach discipleship – will be the focus of a 2006 conference, and the fourth objective – to start and renew congregations – will be featured in 2007.

"What happens from here is we begin to plan for what will happen in 2006 and 2007," Love said. "We're also going to be conscious of the things that we've laid out here," she said. "We're going to be following up and looking for a little bit of accountability from those people who were here. As a result of this experience what has happened in your ministry?"

"This has been a watershed event because of the wider networks that were involved but also because of the increased number of people of color among us," Monroe said. "There was a strong presence of people of color, and their witness and words were gentle and loving but clear. ‘We need to be among you. We are the Lutheran church.'"

Worship, Music Highlight Conference

Carlos Pena, ELCA vice president, Galveston, Texas, preached during the opening worship. He based his sermon on the story in the Gospel of St. Luke of the resurrected Christ meeting two travelers on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

The Rev. Peggy M. Wuertele, ELCA regional coordinator, Philadelphia, preached during the closing worship. She read Psalm 23 from the Christian Old Testament, calling God "the ultimate leader."

Music for the conference was performed by "The Pull," made up of the Rev. Gretchen Weller and others from Bethel Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis.

Judge Dan Joy, treasurer, Lutheran Men in Mission, Jamaica, N.Y., led a Bible study of the second letter to Timothy in the New Testament.

Stacy Kitahata, ELCA regional congregational ministry coordinator, Seattle, served as the event chaplain.

ELCA News Service