May 21, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has made worship resources available May 21 in response to recent severe storms across the Midwest. Through Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA members and congregations are supporting tornado survivors in partnership with local Lutheran affiliates and ELCA synods. In a letter to congregations the Rev. Michael K. Girlinghouse, bishop of the ELCA Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, asked members to pray for affected communit...
May 8, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Robert G. Schaefer, Venice, Fla., was elected May 4 to a six-year term as bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Schaefer was elected on the sixth ballot during the synod assembly May 2-4 in Orlando, Fla. “I am deeply grateful for the confidence that our assembly has placed in me in this call to serve as their bishop,” said Schaefer, who serves as lead pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran in Venice. “I p...
May 2, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Rodger C. Prois, Storm Lake, Iowa, was elected April 27 to a six-year term as bishop of the Western Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Prois was elected on the fifth ballot during the synod assembly April 26-28 in Sioux City, Iowa. Prois serves as interim pastor at St. Mark Lutheran in Sioux City, Iowa, and New Life Lutheran in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. He will be installed as bishop Sept. 1 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ch...
April 25, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In observance of World Malaria Day April 25, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is emphasizing its commitment to help bring an end to malaria-related deaths with a week- long effort to raise $250,000 for the ELCA Malaria Campaign. The money raised April 22-29 will help spur the ELCA’s anti-malaria efforts in Uganda, where the disease is the leading cause of death among children under the age of 5. “Gifts given to the ELCA Malaria Campaign this w...
April 23, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) continues to advocate for comprehensive federal immigration reform as the Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings on legislation that calls for reform. A bipartisan group of senators introduced a reform bill April 17. In anticipation of the Senate’s bill, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service sponsored a leadership summit April 14-16 that brought together 40 Lutheran leaders from across the country to Capi...
April 17, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In an April 12 letter to President Obama, leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) urged the administration and others in the international community to find new avenues toward peace in Syria and strive to resolve the civil war there through diplomacy. In their letter, the ELCA presiding bishop and four synod bishops offered their appreciation for Obama’s chosen “path of restraint,” particularly as the bishops have heard louder calls in re...
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The council of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met April 16 to make decisions and recommendations, in consultation with ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, regarding key synod leadership positions. In an April 17 letter to members of the synod Eric Peterson, chair of the synod’s council and synod vice president, first expressed gratitude “for the tremendous outpouring of prayers” for Maureen Mengelt’s...
April 16, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has made available prayer and worship resources in response to the April 15 explosions during the Boston Marathon. The resources are at http://www.ELCA.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship.aspx. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, offered the following prayer: “Oh God, in Jesus name we renounce the forces of evil and the disruptive power of violence. With all those who suffer, we cry out for mercy an...
April 15, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has concluded its relief and recovery efforts in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake - the most powerful to strike Haiti in more than 200 years. Nearly 250,000 people were killed, 300,000 injured and more than 1 million people were left homeless as a result of the earthquake. Through Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA members responded by donating more than $12.5 million dollars to support relief efforts,...
April 12, 2013
- CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Acknowledging a climate of new institutional mergers and collaborations between seminaries and universities, new technologies and degree program designs, economic challenges facing students and educational providers, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) authorized the formation of an advisory council to address in a holistic way issues on theological education, leadership development, candidacy, call and rostered leaders. Th...