As people of God, it is important for us to constantly be engaged in relevant and helpful study and discussion of how we live together through our common faith in Jesus Christ despite our differences. Here you will discover a wide diversity of well educated, strongly held opinions and theological understandings while emphasizing a shared commitment to the common mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This is about being church together in the midst of disagreements.
The intent of this site is to post and share significant offerings of perspectives by Lutheran teaching theologians and others of how we can be church together and continue in earnest dialogue with one another, challenging our thinking and partnership in Christ Jesus. |
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Words from ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson
ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson continues to lead our church by reflecting on the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly in letters, pastoral remarks, and videos directed to the people in our congregations and in leadership positions.
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Words from Synod Bishop Edward R. Benoway
Bishop Edward R. Benoway of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, ELCA, shares his pastoral words and advice for living together as ELCA Lutherans and the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly.
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Words from other ELCA Bishops
Bishops from across the ELCA have shared messages with their respective synods (the 65 territories of the ELCA). These pastoral remarks are available here.
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Theological Dialogue
Part of being "church together" is understanding our differences and respecting the bound-conscience of the other. Several Lutheran theologians, including Dr. David Yeago (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary) and Dr. Timothy J. Wengert (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) share their personal and theological reflections on being a united church despite our differences.
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Pastoral Words for Our Mission Together
During times of division, clear and caring words from our pastors can help to ease the stress. Pr. Tim Smith (Boone, NC) and former ELCA Presiding Bishop Herbert Chilstrom share their perspective regarding the actions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly and how staying together is important for the ministry of the church.
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Additional Resources
The ELCA website (www.elca.org) provides a large amount of resources for continuing the conversation of what it means to "be church together." Videos, blogs, full text articles and more are available here.
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Webcast - Being Church Together
Are you interested in being a part of a dialogue around how we are continuing to do mission and ministry despite our disagreements over human sexuality?
Join this live webcast event featuring Florida-Bahamas Synod Bishop the Reverend Edward R. Benoway and Synod Vice President Ms. Cheryl Stuart on Thursday, November 5, 2009, at 7:00 PM as we share our stories and hopes for our continued shared mission for the sake of the Gospel. The webcast will conclude with a common service of Holy Communion.
Are you interested in being a part of a dialogue around how we are continuing to do mission and ministry despite our disagreements over human sexuality? Join this live webcast event featuring Florida-Bahamas Synod Bishop the Reverend Edward R. Benoway and Synod Vice President Ms. Cheryl Stuart on Thursday, October 15, 2009, at 7:00 PM as we share our stories and hopes for our continued shared mission for the sake of the Gospel. The webcast will conclude with a common service of Holy Communion.Are you interested in being a part of a dialogue around how we are continuing to do mission and ministry despite our disagreements over human sexuality? Join this live webcast event featuring Florida-Bahamas Synod Bishop the Reverend Edward R. Benoway and Synod Vice President Ms. Cheryl Stuart on Thursday, October 15, 2009, at 7:00 PM as we share our stories and hopes for our continued shared mission for the sake of the Gospel. The webcast will conclude with a common service of Holy Communion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions often arise regarding the process and timeline of decisions made by the Churchwide Assembly, particularly those decisions made in August 2009 regarding human sexuality. This section will work to answer many of those questions.
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Living Together as Lutherans