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Friday's business began with a greeting from David Anderson, President of St. Olaf College. He brought greetings, an update on the college and shared his faith story. He said his faith story was rather uneventful compared to those of the Apostle Paul and St. Augustine. The hymn from this morning’s worship, “In Christ Alone” with the lines, “this cornerstone” and “this solid ground” really describe his faith story. Having been raised a Lutheran all his life, he said he always felt the presence of the love of God as his cornerstone and foundation. President Anderson said the “job of St. Olaf College” was to be the “cornerstone and solid foundation for confessing Lutherans everywhere.” He told the Assembly that St. Olaf’s mission was “to be the leading liberal arts college in America that maintains a meaningful, living connection with its faith tradition.” Two exciting new projects also demonstrate St. Olaf’s mission. The new wind turbine, “Big Ole” is an example of their desire to be good stewards of God’s creation on campus. The new science building will support the ongoing success St. Olaf demonstrates in the sciences. They are the leading producer of PhDs in Math, Statistics and Religion and the second leading producer of PhDs in Art and Music. Jane Rinehart, chair of the Global Mission/Companion Synod Committee shared a bit on the ministry of her committee. Fifty four churches in our Synod support 30 missionaries in 18 different mission sites around the world. Three years ago, the Assembly set a goal of raising $200,000 for missionary scholarships and we are still short of that goal. She encouraged the 130 churches in our Synod who don’t support a missionary to contribute to that fund to help meet that goal. Following Jane, Stella Lizarazo, Colombia, and Rev. Edward Gyunda, Tanzania, brought messages from our companion synods in their respective countries. Lizarazo reported that our financial support allowed the ELCA in Colombia to fund scholarships, meals for poor children during the school year, the salary of a full time pastor for one of their churches, small housing loans for Lutheran families and leadership development seminars. She encouraged our churches to visit them in Colombia and to continue to uphold their churches is prayer and with our financial gifts. She also presented Bishop Usgaard with a stole as a reminder of our missionary relationship and as a way of thanking us for our faithful support of the ministry of our synod in Colombia. Pastor Edward Gyunda brought greetings and thanks to the many pastors from our Synod who have come to visit them at the Central Diocese in Tanzania. He thanked us for our evangelism and mission to their churches. Our missionaries teach theological students in Kiomboi Bible Institute, we’ve given bicycles that allow for more house to house visitation by their theological students, our ministry of health care in Iambi Hospital and its dispensaries have allowed them to make improvements and our Trust Fund has helped to support education in the Central Diocese and support the Lutheran Agape Social Center. He closed with an invitation to us to visit Ruruma Lutheran Church in 2011 and he encouraged us to continue our financial support, our prayers and our ministry with them. Rev. Kathy Bender Schwich, ELCA Executive for Synodical and Constituent Relations, and Rev. Joseph Crippen, St. John's, Northfield, and member of the ELCA church council, to answer questions about the ELCA. Schwich's comments included a response to concerns about Bishop Hanson’s comment in his video report that if our declining church membership continues at the rate it’s going, we will no longer be a church by 2046. She spoke of our need to be a more reforming church and more welcoming to our new immigrants. There will be a new position for Director of Discipleship Ministries at Churchwide to help do that. More money is being given to new and expanding congregations to make “new Lutherans”, focusing on ethnic ministries and our youth and young people so we no longer confirm students and never see them again. Crippen reported on the work
of the church council for the year. Predominantly they are focusing on the
work of preparing for the Churchwide Assembly this year. The church council
will be presenting a new social statement on the ELCA’s commitment to
education, specifically public education, church colleges, campus ministry
and the teaching of faith in the home. Two resolutions are examples of that.
One is regarding the new initiative, “Book of Faith – Lutherans Reading the
Bible.” The other includes information on the new Study Bible. The Bishop reported that Lutheran Campus Ministry received $7,865.16 from this morning’s offering. Also a part of this plenary was a presentation titled Guttenberg to Google by Bill Huff, Augsburg Fortress. |
