Business as usual? - Spirit of a Liberal

The 2009 Church Wide Assembly of the ELCA (CWA09) arrived with a great deal of anticipation. The Social Statement on Human Sexuality was due for consideration as well as proposed changes to ministry policies. The potential impact on church policy vis a vis the LGBTQ community was huge.

There was also tension as the Convention opened. Lutheran CORE, the conservative opposition to the Sexuality Statement and the Ministry Policy Revisions, maintained a “hospitality” room in a prominent location. Not so prominent, stuck on the second floor and down the hallway, Goodsoil Central nevertheless was a hive of activity of LGBTQ advocates.

A curiosity–there was a discernible difference in appearance between the two sets of volunteers. The folks from Goodsoil Central tended to be rather casual in dress and wore prayer shawls while the cadre from CORE tended toward clergy collars, pressed black suits, and fresh haircuts. Just my impression.

As the start of CWA11 approaches, the mood is different, expressed in the simple, understated Assembly theme–“Freed in Christ to Serve”.

To be sure, there will likely be floor resolutions seeking to rescind the Sexuality Statement and ministry policies adopted at CWA09, but few expect such proposals to receive significant support. There are sixty-five Synods in the ELCA, and there was not much traction for change in their regional assemblies leading to the upcoming Church Wide Assembly. Only three of the sixty-five Synods have submitted “memorials” urging the whole church to reverse course while dozens of Synods (37) have memorialized Church Wide to adopt an anti-bullying resolution advocated by Goodsoil.

Perhaps the biggest business item at CWA11 will be a proposed restructuring requiring constitutional amendments. The amendments proposed by a study commission (LIFT = Living Into the Future Together) call for a shift in governance from a two-year cycle of national conventions to a three-year cycle. Because the national conventions are the ultimate legislative authority of the church, spreading out the time between sessions also requires expansion of the roles of Church Council, Council of Bishops, and Synods to govern in the interim. The proposals have cost savings implications but also a diffusion of authority.

Finally, a social statement on Genetics that has been in the works for a number of years will also be considered by CWA11.

I’ll be there as a voting member, and my Synod (SE MN) will be testing a paperless system by using iPads instead of the reams of paper required to print out the pre-assembly report (which is also available online right now) and other assembly documents. Follow me by RSS feed or Twitter (@LiberalSpirit) for regular updates.

2 thoughts on “Business as usual?”

Steve August 6, 2011 at 6:28 am

I like the fact that you are going paperless. Who paid for the i-pads? And are they allowing wi-fi in the assembly hall? We thought this would be a great idea back in 2007 in Chicago. A lot of wasted paper and a lot of wasted time handing out the paper and it seemed that if the whole assembly had them they could be used for voting as well. God’s Blessings on a Great Assembly. I was at the last two and will certainly miss it this year.

Obie Holmen Post authorAugust 6, 2011 at 6:39 am

@Steve

Not sure about funding or wi-fi, but I’ll report back. Here is part of the email received from Secretary Swartling:

Welcome to the paperless project for the 2011 Churchwide Assembly!

Five synods have volunteered to be part of a pilot project to help us become a totally green assembly. Our eventual goal is to have all voting members receive their documentation electronically. We appreciate your help as we learn how to best achieve this. Please note that in this email and at the assembly, “electronic binder” refers to the iPad that you will receive. The electronic binder is for Churchwide Assembly use only and is not a gift to the participant.

When you pick up your registration materials at the assembly, you will receive your electronic binder, which will be loaded with the Pre-Assembly Report and other important information. Two training sessions will be held prior to the first plenary session to help you become familiar with the technology.

Prior to your arrival in Orlando, we encourage you to become familiar with the sections of the Pre-Assembly Report that you will be using most often during the week.

We are grateful for your participation in this project and we hope you find the electronic binder to be a helpful and easy-to-use tool. If you have questions, need assistance or experience problems, staff will be available to assist you on the plenary floor.

The ELCA is committed to caring for God’s creation, and we are striving to be good stewards of the earth’s resources. Thank you for helping by participating in this project. Please take time, after the assembly, to give us feedback by completing the survey we will provide.

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2 thoughts on “Business as usual?”