November 20, 2009

CHICAGO – Declaring that "God's mission is serious work that calls for serious commitment," the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) spelled out priorities for the ELCA churchwide organization in an open letter to members released Nov. 19. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson also invited them to join him in an online "town hall forum" Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (4:30 p.m. CST).

Hanson also recorded a video, posted with the open letter at http://www.ELCA.org/faithfulmission/, on the Web.

The presiding bishop quoted Romans 5: 1-2a in his open letter: "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand."

Hanson wrote: "We stand together in God's grace, but we are not standing still. We proclaim Jesus Christ and are fully engaged in this mission by actively caring for the world that God loves." He added that in serving God's mission, members bring their diversity, tradition and disagreements.

"We go forward in this mission trusting that ‘God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (Romans 5:5b),'" he wrote. He cited several recent examples of "the Holy Spirit being poured out on us and through us," including:

• Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Naples, Fla., which purchased land for a new ministry center and convened representatives of ELCA partners, seminaries synods and the churchwide organization. The purpose was to envision "a vibrant, evangelical and multicultural Lutheran presence in southwestern Florida," he wrote.

• completion of training of churchwide staff assigned to synods for mission and stewardship ministry, aimed at helping congregations grow

• news that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi told Global Mission colleagues traveling in the region they are ready to work with the ELCA so that together both can faithfully respond to malaria, HIV and AIDS

• the ministry and witness of 37,000 youth, young adults and adult leaders at the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Their work "touched the hearts of residents and has them talking still," the presiding bishop wrote.

• the work of ELCA chaplains Michael Lembke, Richard Brunk and Paul Dirksmeyer at Fort Hood, Texas. "They ministered to families, friends and an entire nation grieving the tragic shootings at the nation's largest military base," Hanson wrote.

In the past week, the ELCA Church Council reduced the 2010 churchwide current fund spending authorization by $7.7 million, affecting ministries and staffing. That decision does not diminish the church's commitment to mission, Hanson wrote.

"We will engage Christ's mission with everyone who stands together in God's grace," he wrote. The church will proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord; develop new ministries in every synod, in multicultural communities and among people in poverty; raise up and welcome faithful, wise and courageous leaders through education and campus ministry commitments; and send missionaries.

"What a wonderful promise this is as we now enter the season of Advent! With our hope in Christ, we face the future together as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving the world that God so loves," Hanson wrote.

ELCA News Service