ELCA News

​CHICAGO — Deacon John Weit has accepted a call as assistant to the bishop, executive for worship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Weit has served in the role in an interim capacity since July 2019.

"For Lutherans, worship stands at the center of our life of faith," said the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA. "John brings to this role a deep commitment to how worship and liturgy help us grow in our faith. His gifts of music and leadership will ensure that the worship life of this church will continue to be grounded in our Lutheran roots while also providing relevance for today's world."

In his role as assistant to the bishop, executive for worship, Weit will oversee the work of the Worship team within the Office of the Presiding Bishop and provide leadership on the bishop's behalf in churchwide matters related to worship. This work includes developing and implementing strategies that support worship in synods, congregations and other local worship assemblies across the ELCA. He will oversee and participate in developing and reviewing worship resources intended for use throughout this church.

Since 2016 Weit has served as ELCA program director for music in the Office of the Presiding Bishop. Prior to joining the ELCA churchwide organization, he served as cantor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Worcester, Mass., from 2009 to 2016 and at Christ Ascension Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pa., from 2008 to 2009.

Weit earned a Bachelor of Science in electronic media, concomitant in music, from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2007. He earned a Master of Arts in religion with a concentration in liturgy and music from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 2009. The seminary became part of United Lutheran Seminary in 2017.

As part of his position with the ELCA, Weit works closely with the board of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

​"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 19:33-34) 

Dear Church,

Last week, on the third anniversary of the original executive order, the administration extended the travel ban to the United States from seven majority Muslim countries to thirteen. The ban suspends the issuing of immigrant visas that can lead to permanent residency for those from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria, as well as visas available through a diversity lottery for applicants from Sudan and Tanzania. This announcement comes on the heels of several other rule changes restricting travel to the U.S.

As Lutherans, these actions should concern us. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has set us free from ourselves to serve our neighbor. This expanded policy separates families from loved ones already here. Further, it prevents people – especially those escaping perilous or life-threatening situations in several of these nations – from coming to safety in the U.S. It does not enhance our safety or reflect our vocation as Christians.  

Our church has a strong history of hospitality for refugees and immigrants. After World War II, when one out of every six Lutherans in the world was a refugee or displaced person, Lutherans resettled some 57,000 refugees in the United States (ELCA social message on "Immigration").  Today, with more than 60 million displaced people in the world, we continue God's work of welcoming refugees through advocacy and our vital partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

The ELCA also has companion Lutheran churches in many of these countries that are, with us, member churches of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). (In several instances our church has developed strong partnerships with these churches over many decades.) The current president of the LWF, with whom I serve as a vice-president, is archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania is one of the world's fastest- growing Lutheran churches. Accompaniment of these ELCA partners requires our solidarity and advocacy with them.

The expanded policy also reflects racial and religious discrimination. Over the past three years, the targeting of Muslims has had a direct and negative impact on our interfaith partners, who are harmed not only by the policy, but by the rhetoric surrounding it. Together with other Christians and Jews, we are standing with Muslims through the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign. We are inviting advocacy as a means for helping those affected now, while preventing discrimination in the future. This is one way of embodying our commitment to opposing "all forms of religious bigotry, violence, discrimination, and persecution and stand in solidarity with those who experience them, whether they are Christian or of another religion or worldview" ("A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment: A Policy Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America").  

The travel ban and its extension do not promote our values of mutual respect of all God's children, each created in God's image. Furthermore, these bans contradict our church's and our nation's commitments to be a place of welcome and safety for others. Federal courts have recognized this already by blocking significant portions of the ban, finding them discriminatory, anti-Muslim or unconstitutional.

The ELCA social statement "For Peace in God's World" reminds us that "the church is a disturbing presence when it refuses to be silent and instead speaks the truth." On this policy, we as Lutherans cannot be silent. The history of our church, the life-giving relationships we share with other Lutherans worldwide, and our commitments to and with inter-religious partners are the basis not only for our concern – but for our continued accompaniment, advocacy and action.  

In peace,

Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
 

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

​CHICAGO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has announced a new initiative entitled Total Inclusion!: Widening the Welcome at ELCA Outdoor Ministries. The new program is designed to equip and empower outdoor ministry organizations as they move toward more intentional welcome of people who historically have been marginalized in the church — especially people of color, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.

Total Inclusion! is a collaborative effort between the ELCA churchwide organization and Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), the association of camps and retreat centers affiliated with the ELCA.  

An inviting and welcoming church is one of the stated goals for the ELCA, expressed in its strategic document Future Directions 2025. Through the stated priorities of this goal, the ELCA will address discrimination and oppression by equipping and supporting church members to understand, speak out and act against discrimination based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and social status.

"As is the case with so many ministry organizations of the ELCA, outdoor ministries have found it challenging to serve and be led by people who are often marginalized," said Don Johnson, executive director, Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. "We expect that we will be making great strides in this regard during the next few years because of the Total Inclusion! initiative. The grant will provide the financial resources to actually do something about it, rather than simply dreaming about what we might do."
 

The Total Inclusion! initiative is divided into two phases:

• The first phase, in 2020-2021, will focus on educational opportunities for outdoor ministry leadership that will provide a framework to understand the barriers to full participation in camp and church life, and develop a fundamental and common understanding of demonstrated best practices for welcoming and including all people. 
  
  
• The second phase, in 2021-2022, will involve two cycles of a granting program for local initiatives that will provide financial resources to support organizations' strategic inclusion plans developed during the first phase. Two types of grants will be awarded: Leadership grants for ministries that have been leading the way in inclusive practices and want to expand their impact, and Widening the Welcome Grants, for ministries that look to take beginning steps toward inclusiveness and invitation.
  
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"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6)

I am very dismayed and disturbed by President Trump's announcement of a "peace plan" that, I fear, will bring greater insecurity for Israelis and Palestinians instead of peace.

Our church has long held that any successful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be based on negotiation between the parties. Unfortunately, this "plan" has involved only one party. A plan made for a people without consulting that people will not bring peace. It also seeks to remove from the table many of the final status issues by effectively giving a green light to Israel to further entrench the occupation, rather than end it, - a policy we have advocated for years.

Rather than drawing together Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace accord, the effect of this plan will be further alienation and, I am afraid, more tension, with the possibility of new, violent responses. This path will not lead to peace with justice. It will not promote reconciliation. But it will reinforce extremists in Israel, in Palestine and throughout the region, decreasing security for everyone.

Just last week, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Security Council, noting:

"It is sadly not a surprise that a recent survey of millennials by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) found that almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of Israeli millennials thought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would "never end", making them the least optimistic of the people surveyed in countries affected by war. Palestinians were also pessimistic, although slightly less so, with 52 per cent believing that the conflict would never end.

"The international community bears a responsibility to help build a different future for these young Israelis and Palestinians, one that promises hope, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence rather than perpetual occupation and conflict."

She closed by saying she "would like to emphasize the continued urgency of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements."

Therefore, I call upon President Trump to develop a different plan that would involve all parties, and to pursue efforts that would adhere to international law and human rights conventions. This plan should ensure the protection and preservation of internationally recognized human rights and realize, for Palestinians and for Israelis, two viable, secure states living side by side in peace.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

​Dear Church,

With sadness I bring you the news that Presiding Bishop Emeritus Herbert W. Chilstrom died at home early this morning. His wife, Pastor Corinne Chilstrom; his son, Chris Holt; and family were with him.

Bishop Chilstrom was the first presiding bishop of the ELCA. Many of you knew him in those early days when the ELCA was just getting started – there was no furniture at the Lutheran Center, files were in boxes, phones were on the floor, and the skeleton staff worked on card tables and folding chairs. He was once told by a corporate executive sitting next to him on a plane that this was no way to start a corporation and it would never work. Thirty-three years later we are still here, entrusted with the ministry of the gospel and serving the neighbor.

I can’t imagine the uncertainty and chaos of those first months, but all I know we were filled with hope for this new church the Spirit had brought into being. And I know that Bishop Chilstrom served out of the conviction that it was God’s will to raise up an ELCA witness to the gospel, and with God, all things are possible.

I remember Bishop Chilstrom saying once that his mother told him: “Herb, you might be the only Bible some people read.” It was her way of telling him, and his way of telling us, that we are living witnesses to the grace of God.

Bishop Chilstrom chose “Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart!” (ELW, 873) to be the sending hymn at his funeral. Verse five announces:

At last the march shall end;

The wearied ones shall rest;

The pilgrims find their home at last,

Jerusalem the blest.

Rejoice! Give thanks and sing!

Through tears, but in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, we rejoice.

Peace,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Rev. Dr. Herbert W. Chilstrom, 88, the first presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), died Jan. 19 at his home in Green Valley, Ariz. He was born in Litchfield, Minn., on Oct. 18, 1931.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Corinne (Hansen), also a Lutheran pastor; a daughter, Mary Cress of Mesa, Ariz.; a son, Christopher Holt of Baltimore; and four sisters, Winnifred Christenson of Robbinsdale, Minn.; Virginia Francis of Pickens, S.C.; Martha (Charles) Anderson of Ashby, Minn.; and Janet (Frederick) Sickert of West Linn, Ore. He was preceded in death by his son Andrew; brother, David; and sisters Adeline Christenson (Earle) and Lorraine Juul (Dick).

Chilstrom completed academic degrees at Augsburg University, Augustana Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Princeton Seminary and New York University, where he earned a Doctor of Education degree.

He served Lutheran congregations in Pelican Rapids, Elizabeth and St. Peter, Minn. He was professor and dean at Luther College, Teaneck, N.J., from 1962 to 1970. In 1976 he was elected bishop of the Minnesota Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). At the 1987 merger that created the 5.2-million-member ELCA, he was elected the first presiding bishop.

Chilstrom was awarded 15 honorary doctorates by 15 colleges, universities and seminaries. He was named a commander of the Royal Order of the North Star by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and received the Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service from Viterbo University, the Servus Dei Award from the ELCA, and numerous other honors and awards.

Chilstrom served on numerous boards of directors, including those of the Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, Switzerland (as vice president); Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota; Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.; and the National Council of Churches.

He also authored numerous books and articles.

After retirement he continued to be active in church and community, preaching and lecturing in many parts of the country. He became a Minnesota Master Gardener, volunteering and serving as interim director at the Linnaeus Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus College.

The family prefers that memorial gifts be given to the Herbert Chilstrom Chair in New Testament Studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, or to one of the Chilstrom student scholarship funds at Luther Seminary; Gustavus Adolphus College; Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minn.; or Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.

There will be two services of Holy Communion:

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2 p.m.
Desert Hills Lutheran Church
2150 S. Camino del Sol
Green Valley, Ariz.
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will bring a greeting, the Rev. Deborah Hutterer, bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, will preach and Pastor Martin Overson will preside. Reception to follow.

Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m.
Christ Chapel
Gustavus Adolphus College
St. Peter, Minn.
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will preside and bring a greeting, Presiding Bishop Emeritus Mark Hanson will preach, the Rev. Jon Anderson, bishop of the ELCA Southwestern Minnesota Synod, will bring a greeting and Chaplain Siri Erickson will host. Reception to follow.

For each service, clergy and rostered leaders of the ELCA, together with clergy of the ELCA's ecumenical partners, are invited to robe and process and are asked to RSVP (to jhoward@dhlc.org for Desert Hills and to https://forms.gle/ZB162Zyf99ETnKg5A for Christ Chapel). The vestments color of the day will be green.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org