September 4, 2009

CHICAGO – Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) should continue to discuss questions about human sexuality, and also talk about how their congregations can grow and how each person can carry out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their daily lives.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, made the comments in a video message posted Sept. 4 on a new section on the denomination's Web site at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfulmission/, "Our Faithful Mission Together" contains a variety of resources, including documents and reports from the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, plus information about how offerings are used, comments from members and church leaders, and ideas for sharing stories and discussion.

Hanson's message refers to actions taken by the assembly last month in Minneapolis. More than 1,000 assembly voting members adopted a social statement on human sexuality by a two-thirds vote, and in separate actions they directed that changes be made to the church's ministry policies to make it possible for people in committed, same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.

Responses throughout the church have varied regarding the assembly's decisions, particularly on the ministry policies proposals. Some ELCA members are pleased, while some say they are considering leaving the ELCA or protesting in other ways. In many congregations, members and leaders are sharing different perspectives and asking questions about what the decisions mean for them.

Hanson invited members to continue to discuss human sexuality, "but have conversations about how your congregation can grow as an evangelical center for mission, how you can do in your daily life God's work with your hands (and) how we can stay connected." Hanson's message alluded to "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA's tag line.

The presiding bishop reminded viewers what he asked the churchwide assembly: "What shall be our witness? What stories shall we tell?"

Hanson suggested some possible answers in his message. "We are a church committed to congregations being vital, growing centers of evangelical mission. We are a church that believes every member is set to do God's work with their hands," he said, "for the story we tell is the story of God's love for the whole world in Jesus Christ. What ‘Good News' we have to share," the presiding bishop's message concluded.

Information about Presiding Bishop Hanson is at http://www.ELCA.org/bishop/, on the ELCA Web site.

ELCA News Service