Gathering under the theme “Embody the Word,” more than 800 voting members met Aug. 8-12 at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center for the 16th ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

In her welcome, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton acknowledged that the assembly was gathering on the original and ancestral homelands of the Shawnee, Miami, and Kaskaskia peoples. “We give thanks for their presence here since time immemorial,” she said.

The assembly also recognized the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the ELCA’s constitution in Columbus. “On April 30, 1987, the American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches united to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,” Eaton said. “This is a time for us to look back at the people and events that have helped shape our lives.”

Read the complete Living Lutheran article, ELCA gathers to “Embody the Word.”

Follow-up Actions of the ELCA Church Council

Following up on a number of actions of the Churchwide Assembly, the Executive Committee of the Church Council took the following actions at its meeting on Sept. 13, 2022. The Executive Committee voted:

1. On Voting Rights and D.C. Statehood: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Voting Rights and D.C. Statehood” to the Service and Justice home area for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synod of this action.

2. On Greenhouse Gas Reduction: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Greenhouse Gas Reduction” to the Service and Justice home area, in consultation with the Office of the Treasurer, Office of the Secretary, and Office of the Presiding Bishop, for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synods of this action.

3. On Fortifying Urban Ministries in Underserved Urban Areas: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Fortifying Urban Ministries in Underserved Urban Areas” to the Christian Community and Leadership home area for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synod of this action.

4. On Salary Equity in the ELCA: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Salary Equity in the ELCA” to the Office of the Secretary, in consultation with the Office of the Presiding Bishop and Christian Community and Leadership home area, for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synod of this action.

5. On Right to Boycott: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Right to Boycott” to the Office of the Presiding Bishop and Service and Justice home area for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synods of this action.

6. On Restructure the Governance of the ELCA: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Restructure the Governance of the ELCA” to the Legal and Constitutional Review Committee and the Office of the Secretary, in consultation with other appropriate churchwide organization offices and home areas, for a response on a recommended process and timeline; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synods of this action.

7. On Separation Agreements: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Separation Agreements” to the Office of the Presiding Bishop, in consultation with the Office of the Secretary, to update the “Churchwide Organization Personnel Policies” to appropriately limit the use of non-disclosure agreements consistent with the memorials; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synods of this action.

8. On Child Abuse and Protection: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Child Abuse and Protection” to the Office of the Presiding Bishop for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synods of this action.

9. On Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust Revision: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust Revision” to the Office of the Presiding Bishop for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synods of this action.

10. On Message on Homelessness: To refer the 2022 Churchwide Assembly action on “Message on Homelessness” to the Office of the Presiding Bishop for a report or for a timeline on when this will receive further attention; and
To request that the secretary of this church inform the synod of this action.

—communicated to synods by ELCA Secretary Sue E. Rothmeyer