The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America News Service has several news releases on events from Day 2 of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly (The Lead’s coverage yesterday is here.)
ELCA Assembly Begins Discussing Proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality: Comments made by the voting members of the churchwide assembly opened a one-hour discussion Aug. 18 on the proposed social statement on human sexuality to be considered later this week.
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Formal consideration of the social statement continues on Aug. 19.
ELCA Assembly to Consider $10 Million Fundraising Campaign for HIV and AIDS: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) needs to become more knowledgeable and active when it comes to HIV and AIDS, said Cynthia Halverson, executive director of the ELCA Foundation and Development Services. Halverson was among those who spoke to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly about the recommendation to raise $10 million to support the HIV and AIDS strategy in the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
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Voting members will vote on the recommendation during the Aug. 19 plenary session….
ELCA Assembly Learns of Decrease in 2010-2011 Income Expectations: The assembly will consider a proposed current fund income of $76.69 million for 2010 — a 6.4 percent decrease from the 2009 proposal approved by the 2007 assembly. It will also consider a proposed $18.7 million income goal for the ELCA World Hunger in 2010. This represents a decrease from the $20 million goal for 2009 approved by the 2007 assembly….
ELCA Assembly Endorses Lutheran Malaria Initiative: Voting members at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Aug. 18 to support a program that seeks to eliminate malaria in south-Saharan Africa by 2015. The Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI), with a fund-raising goal of $75 million, was endorsed by a vote of 989 to 11. It would create a shared effort in concert with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), Lutheran World Relief (LWR), and the United Nations Foundation….
[See yesterday’s video of the news conference on the malaria initiative here.]
ELCA Assembly Defeats Super-Majority Requirement: The vote, with 57 percent in opposition, came late in the evening of the first day of the gathering, Aug. 17.
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The defeat of the requirement of a two thirds “super majority” makes it less difficult for proponents to get approval for a proposal to open the ministry to same-gender candidates living in committed same-gender relationships….
The ELCA resolutions to be considered, as well as voting results can be found here. In the addition to the Malaria initiative voting results, that page now shows that the AIDS initiative passed today 8/19 by a vote of 884 – 41.
Since 2000, The Episcopal Church and the ELCA have been in full communion. Read the ELCA’s statement on that agreement, Called to Common Mission, here.