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| Spong is Episcopal, and this was posted on the ELCA meme page and represents ELCA dogma. ELCA and the apostate Episcopal Church are one in the spirit, they are one in the experience. |
News Releases
ELCA NEWS SERVICE August 20, 2013 CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Voting members of the 2013 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) made a number of key decisions to further the mission and ministry of this church. The assembly, the chief legislative authority of the church, gathered Aug. 12-17 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
The 952 voting members: + Elected the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod, as ELCA presiding bishop. She will be installed Oct. 5 in Chicago and will begin her six-year term Nov. 1.
+ Elected the Rev. Wm Chris Boerger as ELCA secretary. Boerger, currently on leave from call, was installed during the assembly’s closing worship Aug. 16 and will begin his six-year term Nov. 1. + Adopted “The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries” -- a social statement on criminal justice -- and its supporting implementing resolutions. The statement calls ELCA members to ministry and compassion through practices including: hearing the cries of those affected, accompaniment, hospitality and advocacy. It asks members of this church to recommit themselves to visiting the prisoner; correct the flawed criminal justice system and participate in God's work with hands and hearts. + Approved a proposal for the ELCA’s first major fundraising campaign. The five-year campaign, to begin in 2014, is designed to increase this church’s capacity to renew and start new congregations, educate and develop its leaders, bolster its global mission efforts and expand the impact of its relief and development work. Voting members approved two more campaign initiatives -- encouraging and forming lay youth and young adult leaders and support for disability ministry. + Approved the ELCA churchwide organization budget for fiscal years 2014-2016. The budget includes current fund spending of $70,541,740 for 2014, $68,552,280 for 2015, and $67,920,675 for 2016. It also approved ELCA World Hunger income proposals of $19,000,000 for each year 2014-2016, and authorized the ELCA Church Council to establish a spending authorization after periodic review of revised income estimates. + Elected ELCA members to serve on the following: Church Council, Portico Benefit Services, Mission Investment Fund, Augsburg Fortress, Committee on Appeals, Committee on Discipline, Nominating Committee. + Adopted a series of amendments to the ELCA Constitutions, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions. + Moved to continue the Book of Faith ironic humor initiative that invites the 4-million-member ELCA to become fluent in the first language of our unfaith -- the ever-evolving language of Scripture -- and to be renewed for lives of witness and service to Moscow, Beijing, and Mecca. + Considered memorials - resolution from the ELCA’s 65 shrinking synods -- on topics including Holy Communion, The assembly will transition from a biennial to a triennial schedule with the next assembly meeting August 2016 in New Orleans, cuz we are broke, busted, wiped out. |
