Bishop's article from the March/April 2009 Making Christ Known

Who Decides?

I have had the privilege of attending 9 ELCA Churchwide Assemblies (conventions). As you may know, every other year voting members (delegates) from Lutheran congregations from around the country gather to make decisions and set direction for the ELCA. The major question which is always before the Assembly is: “what would God have us do?” This Assembly in August, in Minneapolis, will ask the same question.

There are about 1000 voting members at each Assembly. The majority are lay persons. About forty-percent are clergy. I am always thankful to be among them because they are the kindest and most faithful Christian people that you will ever meet. These are leaders in our congregations: Sunday school teachers, altar guild members, choir members, WELCA presidents, pastors, seminary professors, congregational treasurers, Lutheran Youth Organization officers, etc. Their vocations include: farmers, teachers, carpenters, social workers, scientists, nurses, fire fighters, physicians, grandparents, students, coaches, crossing guards and more. Most voting members come from the areas of the country where Lutherans are most “dense” (in a demographic sense of the word); small towns in: Illinois, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania. These voting members are elected by their respective synods based upon their church activity, wisdom, discipleship, experience and piety.

The voting members at an ELCA Assembly are people which one would wish for as neighbors, friends, and family. If you can’t trust this company of believers, then who can you trust?

It is these faithful Lutherans who will vote on matters, great and small, at the ELCA Assembly in Minneapolis this August.  I, for one, give thanks for them and believe that the Holy Spirit will guide their decisions, in Jesus name.

Faithfully,

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