The Reformation sparked by Martin Luther in 1517 was a movement for liberation with lessons echoing through to the present day, church scholars argued in a Bible study at the 15th National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

The Rev. Dr. Allen Jorgenson, assistant dean and associate professor of systematic theology at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, and the Rev. Dr. Gordon Jensen, William Hordern chair of theology and dean of studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, facilitated the study on the afternoon of Friday, July 10.

“Liberation—we often take it for granted and don’t think much about it,” Rev. Jorgenson began. “But for those who are oppressed, it means everything.”

“Christianity should be, although it hasn’t always been, about liberation and freedom,” he added.

Jorgenson described the Reformation as an attempt by Luther to restore the liberating qualities of the faith.

Luther’s efforts at reform flowed from his responsibilities as a professor of theology who felt the need to speak out when he believed the prevailing theology was in error, and from his duties as a protective pastor.

“The Reformation was about God liberating people from enslaving religiosity … It was about liberating people from oppressions so that people could be liberating people and each other,” Jorgenson said.

Referring to Ephesians 2:8-9, he noted that in the original Greek, the word “you” referred to a community rather than an individual. The focus on “us” rather than “me,” he added, was common to both Indigenous spiritual beliefs and early Christianity.

Basing his analysis on the point that “we are people before we persons,” Jorgenson connected past beliefs with modern concerns.

“What does liberation mean today?” he asked. “It means learning to recognize that we are not self-made individuals … Freedom, true freedom, always aims at the common good.”

As an example, he pointed to the communal work of truth-telling and reconciliation regarding the legacy of residential schools in Canada.

In his own reflections, Rev. Jensen echoed one of the themes of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation: “Salvation—not for sale.”

Recounting the oft-told story of how Luther nailed 95 Theses on the wall of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Saxony, while acknowledging the disputes surrounding its historical veracity, Jensen described “salvation—not for sale” as one of the biggest lessons of the Reformation.

The idea first emerged as a reaction by Luther to the sale of indulgences by the medieval Catholic Church, which promised to free souls from purgatory in exchange for a monetary fee.

“If [salvation] were for sale, only the rich could be saved,” Jensen said. “Trust in God and God’s grace, and trust in God’s actions for us wouldn’t matter. Our relationship with God would not matter … God then becomes nothing more than a salesperson or greedy capitalist looking to separate us from our money.”

Parallel to the sale of indulgences, on which the Catholic Church had a monopoly, was the doctrine that one could attain salvation through good works.

By contrast, Luther argued that salvation could not be earned, but was possible through faith alone. Rather than being a contract, it was a gift of grace.

“That’s the term that God offers, and this grace breathes life into our world,” Jensen said.

Salvation today, Jorgenson said, consists of “stories, memories, and community” —the story of Jesus through which God would not allow humanity to fail, and the strong relationships that bind people together with God, with creation and with each other.

The scholars wrapped up their study with a series of questions for discussion:

• What do you think the Reformation in the 16th century liberated people from? What were people liberated for?
• What do we need liberation from, as individuals and as a church? What are we liberated for?
• If salvation were for sale, what would it cost? What would you be willing to pay? Who around you couldn’t afford it?
• If salvation is about being with, what are ways in which God is with you and ways in which you are with others?

Under the banner, “Liberated by God’s grace,” the 15th Biennial National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) opened with water and word, bread and wine, a butterfly, Bishops, prayers, and songs.

Almost 250 delegates, over 100 visitors and numerous volunteers were in attendance as opening worship commenced with a procession entering the worship space from the four directions, with all paths leading to the waters of Baptism.

With water poured into the font from the synods, the words of the prophet Isaiah rang out: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water.”

The choir shared that the convention room is holy ground as the gathering gave way to the Word. Everything done and said in the convention space was proclaimed to be done and said on holy ground. Isaiah’s words were shared once again, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water!” And as if that news wasn’t good enough, the worshipping community was reminded, in the words of the letter to the Ephesians, that it is by grace that we have been saved.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton read the gospel from Luke (4:16-21) and in her sermon proclaimed that our churches are not irrelevant; that the good news that Jesus our Lord and Saviour has accepted us as his very own children is not irrelevant.

Using a word from the gospel, Bishop Eaton said emphatically that today the love of God is complete; God’s will has been accomplished.

The worshipping community responded to her words of hope with expansive prayers for creation, community, and justice; for the church, healing, and jubilee.

Finally, from the four directions, those in attendance were called to come to the table – delegates, visitors, and volunteers – to receive the body and blood of Christ.

Following the meal, delegates were welcomed to Treaty Six Territory by ceremony helper Oskaapewis Reuben Quinn, a direct descendent of pahpasteew who was leader of the Nehiyaw people in Edmonton who signed the adhesion to Treaty Six. “It is meant to be,” he said as he welcomed delegates. “We have taken root in beautiful Turtle Island, and it is meant to be.”

Opening worship concluded with ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson declaring the church-wide assembly in session.

Almost 400 delegates, special guests, visitors and volunteers are meeting in Edmonton for the ELCIC’s 15th National Convention. Full agenda details and a live link to the proceedings are available on the National Convention website: https://elcic.ca/In-Convention/2015-Edmonton/default.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 121,000 baptized members in 533 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Marking great progress responding to a world in need, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan Johnson offered a passionate message of hope for the future in her report to delegates at the ELCIC’s 15th National Convention.

Her remarks on Thursday, July 8 set the tone for the convention, which runs from July 9-12 at the Shaw Conference in Edmonton, Alta. The theme of the event, “Liberated by God’s Grace,” is also the theme of the upcoming international commemoration of the Lutheran Reformation’s 500th anniversary.

As an example of how the church will lift up this theme over the next two years, Bishop Johnson described the proposed ELCIC Reformation Challenge under consideration at the convention.

The challenge would include providing scholarships to students attending schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, welcoming and assisting refugees to Canada, planting trees in Canada and around the world, and giving generously to the Lutheran World Foundation Endowment Fund.

“Not only will the ELCIC Reformation Challenge make a difference in our world,” Bishop Johnson said. “It will make a difference in our church as we work together and stretch ourselves in generosity as a church in mission for others.”

The bulk of her report outlined strides made forward by the ELCIC in four strategic directions set out at its 2013 convention: spiritual renewal, healthy church, compassionate justice, and effective partnerships.

Lifting up the Call to Spiritual Renewal which encourages deeper discipleship in the church, she pointed to new resources that will be mailed out to every ELCIC congregation at the end of August.

“I am convinced,” Bishop Johnson said, “that these ancient and continuing spiritual practices are what we need to deepen our relationship with God and equip us for the baptismal life of discipleship to which we have been called.”

She described spiritual renewal as a key element to becoming a healthy church—a strategic goal that arose from an acknowledgement that the church appeared increasingly unhealthy due to conflict, mistrust, and fear of an uncertain future.

“I’m happy to report to you that I see huge changes across our church,” Bishop Johnson told delegates. “We are learning to work together as the body of Christ, as a team.”

She pointed to numerous examples of the church’s increasing health, such as the Church Extension and Capital Fund (CECF), a fund held by the national church to help start new congregations.

Recognizing that the old model of purchasing land and loaning money to new congregations for building had become too expensive to continue, the CECF committee agreed to donate capital from the fund to provide each synod with $200,000 spread over three years to experiment with new forms of ministry.

“This is a big deal,” Bishop Johnson said. “It means we have been talking and listening to each other and to God. It means we are building trust and mutual accountability. It means we understand that there are regional differences across the church and that we can celebrate them instead of trying to insist on uniformity.”

Increasing the flow of communication through the church via social media was another positive development. Using the #myelcic hashtag, Lutherans are able to share stories about life and ministry within their church via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Bishop Johnson further highlighted the second reading of a new constitution, the adoption of proposed new administration bylaws, and the production of annual reports to share the work of the national church.

Another major sign of health, she added, was increased participation in the work of compassionate justice.

She recalled participating in a church leaders’ justice tour across Canada that many Lutherans had attended.

“What we heard was people calling on the churches for moral leadership in the areas of poverty and climate change,” she said. “We are being urged to move beyond charity to looking at the root, systemic causes of both these areas. We are also being urged to see how much the concerns of Indigenous peoples overlap both poverty and climate change.”

The closing of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), meanwhile, provided the church with an opportunity to continue fulfilling its 2011 commitment to work towards right relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

“This includes the Indigenous members of our church,” Bishop Johnson said. “Because of this we need to do everything we can to respond to the calls to action of the TRC, and it begins with reading them.”

A related item that would be considered at the convention was the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery that had long been used to justify colonial attitudes.

Moving on to effective partnerships, Bishop Johnson provided a lengthy list demonstrating how the church’s work was more effective when it worked with others.

Among the partners she highlighted were the Anglican Church of Canada, KAIROS, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, the Canadian Council of Churches, the Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute and Luther College, and the National Church Council.

She also noted promising new partnerships under development, such as the Mennonite Church Canada and the Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops.

In an emotional conclusion, Bishop Johnson underscored how far the church had come recently.

“When I was first elected National Bishop, I was very concerned about the direction we were headed,” she recalled. “Our resources both in terms of people and finances were receding rapidly. I wasn’t sure the ELCIC was going to survive.”

Since that time, however, she had learned many things from God and members of the church, which she summed up in a message from St. Paul in Romans 5:5—“Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

“Through your faithfulness, through your witness, through your creativity, through your hopefulness, I have learned that hope does not disappoint,” Bishop Johnson said.

“We are liberated by God’s grace! We are blessed with a hope in Jesus Christ that will not disappoint us. We are being strengthened to meet the challenges ahead.”

An outpouring of applause followed from delegates, who gave Bishop Johnson a standing ovation.

View a video of the Bishop’s report here: https://elcic.ca/In-Convention/2015-Edmonton/Thursday.cfm

Almost 400 delegates, special guests, visitors and volunteers are meeting in Edmonton for the ELCIC’s 15th National Convention. Full agenda details and a live link to the proceedings are available on the National Convention website: https://elcic.ca/In-Convention/2015-Edmonton/default.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 121,000 baptized members in 533 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

On the third ballot for National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the Rev. Susan C. Johnson was re-elected by delegates at the 15th Biennial National Convention for a third four-year term.

In her acceptance of the call to a third term, Bishop Johnson thanked delegates for asking her to serve for another term. “I want you to know how much I love God and how much I love this church,” she said. “I promise you that I will faithfully serve to the best of my ability.”

In particular, Bishop Johnson lifted up the support of her parents, Rev. Don and Lois Johnson, who were in attendance at convention.

“I want to thank them for their unfailing love and support, and for they way they have continued to model discipleship,” she said.

“I look forward with hope for the next few years,” concluded Bishop Johnson, “because hope does not disappoint.”

Bishop Johnson is the fourth bishop to serve the ELCIC. This will be her third four-year term as National Bishop. She was first elected in 2007.

Almost 400 delegates, special guests, visitors and volunteers are meeting in Edmonton for the ELCIC’s 15th National Convention. Full agenda details and a live link to the proceedings are available on the National Convention website: https://elcic.ca/In-Convention/2015-Edmonton/default.cfm

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 121,000 baptized members in 533 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

National Bishop Susan C. Johnson has prepared a sermon for use by congregations on the Sunday of Convention, July 12, 2015.

While traditionally prepared for use by a lay leader in the absence of a congregation’s pastor who has been selected as a delegate for convention, all congregations are encouraged to use this message from our National Bishop.

Download the sermon here.

Leaders of the four Lutheran and Anglican churches in full communion in Canada and the United States: National Bishop Susan Johnson (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada), Archbishop Fred Hiltz (Anglican Church of Canada), Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori (Episcopal Church) wrote to Prime Minister Harper and President Obama and called for a review of the Columbia River Treaty, "in order to respect the rights, dignity and traditions of the Columbia Basin tribes and First Nations by including them in the implementation and management of the Treaty, and to include the healthy functioning of the ecosystem as an equal purpose of the Treaty."

A pdf of the letter can be viewed here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/20150611ColumbiaRiverTreatyjointletter.pdf

The text of the letter follows:

June 11, 2015

To President Barack Obama and Prime Minster Stephen Harper

We write to you to add our voices to those who are calling for a review of the Columbia River Treaty in order to respect the rights, dignity and traditions of the Columbia Basin tribes and First Nations by including them in the implementation and management of the Treaty, and to include the healthy functioning of the ecosystem as an equal purpose of the Treaty.

On September 23, 2014, you received the Declaration on Ethics and Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty, and the Columbia River Pastoral Letter upon which the Declaration is based. The Declaration sets forth eight valuable principles to consider in the review of the Columbia River Treaty.

As noted in the Declaration, the original treaty only included flood control and hydroelectric power generation as international management purposes of the Columbia River. We stand at a critical moment in history regarding both the renewal of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and the addressing of climate change. In fact, Indigenous rights and climate justice are deeply interrelated.

The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent is enshrined in the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The wisdom of Indigenous peoples is vital to addressing the environmental crisis.We hear in this moment the call of God to work for justice and to deepen our practice of living as treaty people. In this time of climate change, the United States and Canada working together to promote stewardship of shared waters would be a sign of hope for a healthier environment and a fairer world.

Please move forward with negotiations to review the Columbia River Treaty, and thereby provide a respectful, just and sustainable model for stewardship of these vital waters.

Sincerely,

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz
Primate
Anglican Church of Canada

Bishop Susan Johnson
National Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 121,000 baptized members in 533 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Ongoing efforts to enhance congregational vitality received a fresh boost this spring when Anglicans and Lutherans met in Niagara Falls, Ont., for the second annual Vital and Healthy Parishes consultation.

The three-day meeting, which took place from May 11 to 13 at the Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre, built on the previous year’s consultation and saw an increased turnout among Lutherans and smaller Anglican dioceses.

“Last year we had a lot of information sharing and excitement about meeting each other across the country,” said Lynn Uzans, vocational co-ordinator and working team member for the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

“I think that the conversations went much deeper this year…We still affirmed each other, but we were also more likely to kind of push for more clarity and push back when we didn’t agree. So I think there was more maturity this year.”

In total, 51 representatives of the Anglican Church of Canada and 13 representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) attended, encompassing both lay and ordained members. Organizers estimated participants were split almost evenly between newcomers and those who attended the previous year’s consultation.

One first-time participant was the Rev. Lisa Vaughn, leader of the Building Healthy Parishes team for the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, who said she would be returning to her diocese “inspired and hopeful.”

“I really appreciate the networking and the storytelling,” Vaughn said. “We’re embarking on some new initiatives in the diocese, so we’ve been able to glean some lessons on what not to do, and also coming back with some ideas and some models that we can hopefully put into practice.”

The event included two major components. On the first day, participants gathered into circle groups where they shared stories of congregational initiatives that had proven successful in worship, ministry or mission, as well as those that were less successful.

Subsequent days saw the event shift into a “marketplace planning” format, with participants able to join different presentations and discussions on a wide variety of topics—from amalgamated parishes to church planting, from non-Sunday ministry to leadership training and reaching out to millennials.

“People are free to attend whatever conversation they choose or to move between conversations, and just to experience that way the various questions that we’re exploring,” ELCIC British Columbia Synod mission consultant and planning team member Rev. Eric Krushel said.

A common theme was the importance of a missional approach, which focuses on God’s action in the world and how churches can become more involved.

Dave Robinson, director of congregational development for the Diocese of Toronto and a member of the Vital and Healthy Parishes Working Group, underscored the need for congregational vitality on that front.

“You’ve got to work on congregational health in order to be missional,” Robinson said.

“Part of it is simply a matter of capacity,” he added. “If a parish is failing, it’s not going to have the wherewithal to actually do the hard work to get out of its building.”

Following the consultation, organizers and circle group leaders planned to compile the ideas generated by participants into an internal report, likely to be completed in the summer, which would provide guidance for each church going forward in its efforts to improve congregational vitality.

Looking to the future, Uzan noted, “I’m hoping that…both the Anglican and Lutheran churches will invest time and energy and money into some of the initiatives that we think might make significant differences.”

View the report from the 2014 Vital and Healthy Parishes consultation.

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 121,000 baptized members in 533 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

In a letter issued today, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson invites the church, "into prayer for the closing events of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and for renewal in our commitments to healing and reconciliation."

The text of Bishop Johnson’s letter follows. A pdf version of the letter can be viewed here: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/201505TRC.pdf

May 20, 2015

Dear friends in Christ,

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is holding its closing events in Ottawa, May 31-June 3, 2015. I am writing to invite you into prayer for the closing events and for renewal in our commitments to healing and reconciliation.

I begin by acknowledging the survivors of residential schools and their families who continue to live with the legacy of this tragic chapter in Canadian history. I offer my prayers for your continuing courage, strength, wisdom and healing. And I offer my prayers for all of us as we engage together the work of promoting right and renewed relationships.  

For more than 120 years, tens of thousands of Indigenous children were sent to Indian Residential Schools funded by the federal government and run by the churches. They were taken from their families and communities in order to be stripped of language, cultural identity and traditions. Canada’s attempt to wipe out Indigenous cultures failed. It left an urgent need for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. We also remember the over 4,000 children who died while attending these schools.

For the last 6 years, the TRC has been listening to the stories and gathering the statements of survivors of the Indian Residential Schools and anyone else who feels they have been impacted by the schools and their legacy in order to hear and document the truth of what happened. The TRC has also been considering what is required for reconciliation. While the work of the TRC is concluding, the recommendations of the TRC will be a new call to form more respectful, just and equitable relationships.    

Our church is committed to participating in an ongoing process of finding truth and reconciliation. It is our hope that the sincerity of our covenant will be demonstrated in our actions and in our attitudes. We understand this to be both an urgent and a long-term commitment.

There are a variety of ways that you can engage this present moment:

• Pray. For survivors and their families, for the work of reconciliation, and for new understanding.
• Get involved. KAIROS Canada has prepared resources to encourage engagement in this “Time for Reconciliation.” Events are being planned for both Ottawa and across the country. Activities have been identified that can be done anywhere, including worship resources, planting a heart garden and watching livestream. (http://www.kairoscanada.org/events/time4reconciliation/)
• Make a commitment. Our Full Communion partner, the Anglican Church of Canada, has invited the Church into 22 Days of prayer and renewal in our commitments to healing and reconciliation among all people. (22 Days website and #22days)  These 22 Days will take us to the National Aboriginal Day of Prayer, on Sunday, June 21st.
• Attend events. If you aren’t able to attend the closing Ottawa event, consider attending a regional event. The KAIROS website (www.kairoscanada.org/events/time4reconciliation/local-events/) has a list of events and check out whether there are other events being held in your area.
• Engage in the work of our church. The ELCIC National Convention will hear from TRC Commissioner Marie Wilson and will consider a resolution to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. In the coming weeks, you will see more details in the ELCIC’s Countdown to Convention e-newsletter and online at www.elcic.ca.
• Find out more. You can learn more about the TRC process and its recommendations at www.trc.ca.

Our Lutheran tradition teaches us that reconciliation is a gracious and precious gift from God our Creator. For true reconciliation to happen the Creator must stir hearts. It is the Creator who opens eyes and ears and souls that we may have the courage to speak truth, the patience to listen, the wisdom to confess and the humility to show respect. It is the Creator who calls us to hope for a better future and for a healing journey that will bring us to true community.

We will need to draw on many spiritual resources to make this journey. I pray that everyone will find appropriate spiritual and community support.

In these words from St. Paul to the Romans, we hear a call to humility, an invitation to listen, and a sign of hope for reconciliation.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
(Romans 12:9)

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 121,000 baptized members in 533 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) will meet together for a second time in a Joint Assembly in 2019. The churches’  two governing bodies, the Council of General Synod (Anglican) and the National Church Council (Lutheran) have each passed a resolution in support of this joint assembly as each of their national gatherings meets in Vancouver, probably in July of 2019.

The two national gatherings (the Anglican General Synod and the Lutheran National Convention) will be hosted by their local churches, the British Columbia Synod of the ELCIC and the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, supported by the the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon. The nature and agenda of the shared meeting is yet to be decided, as each church needs to decide how it will address its denominational agenda in its national gathering, as well as entering into time together to explore and grow into the common life of our Full Communion relationship.

The 2013 Joint Assembly, "Together for the Love of the World", took place in Ottawa, and broke important new ground in the growing global pattern of relationship between Lutheran and Anglican churches. The 2019 gathering will build on the work that God did among us in that first Joint Assembly, and help our two churches continue respond together to the new thing that God is doing by drawing our two churches more and more closely together, in God’s mission, "for the love of the world".

Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) are invited to pray for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land on Sunday, May 17, 2015.

The ELCIC lifts up the 7th Sunday in Easter for this day of prayer and joins with full communion partner, the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), who also designates the 7th Sunday in Easter to pray for peace for Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

ELCIC congregations and ministries are encouraged to use the following prayer resources from the ELCIC and ACC: https://www.elcic.ca/documents/May17.pdf