I.C.M. - SW MN WordAlone

Reforming the ELCA

Lyall A. Schwarzkopf

Last summer in Milwaukee I was a “voting member” at my first ELCA Churchwide Assembly. In the past, I have participated in 26 national or international conventions of other organizations. I found the ELCA Churchwide Assembly the most controlled national meeting I have ever attended.

The second R of the three R’s that WordAlone recommends is:

“Reform and restructure the ELCA so there is: 1) Representative governance throughout the church with effective checks and balances...”

Today, I believe there are no real checks or balances on the churchwide organization’s authority.

Top Down Administration in the ELCA

When merger of the three national Lutheran church bodies was completed in 1987, the ELCA Constitution placed all real authority in the churchwide organization. The amount of authority was debated, but those who wanted top down authority won.

How the ELCA is Organized to accomplish Churchwide Authority

Although Chapter 8.11 of the ELCA Constitution says the relationship between congregations, synods, and churchwide are interdependent, Chapter 8.14 of the Constitution points out how churchwide has authority over congregations and synods. Chapter 8.14 says, “The churchwide organization shall implement the extended mission of the Church, developing churchwide policies in consultation with the synods and congregations, entering into relationship with governmental, ecumenical and societal agencies in accordance with accepted resolutions and/or in response to specific agreed-upon areas of responsibility”. So what does 8.14 mean in plain English? It means the churchwide organization must consult with synods and congregations; but once that is done, the churchwide organization has the power to implement and develop churchwide policy. Once policy of the churchwide organization is implemented, congregations and synods have limited power to effect change and must conform. The only check or balance which congregations and synods have over the churchwide organization is the votes of the voting members cast at the churchwide assembly. When churchwide has the power to develop and implement policy, there is no interdependence, but top down authority.

Four Steps to the Churchwide Organization’s Authority

The first step to churchwide authority is naming your delegates “voting members”. “Voting member” is a term used to take away authority of local synods or congregations to have someone represent their ideas or philosophy at the Churchwide Assembly. All “voting members” to the 2003 Assembly received a document entitled “Introduction to the Eighth Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA” and on page viii it states “voting members” do not represent their congregations or synods, but represent all members of the ELCA. At the Assembly, ELCA Secretary, Pastor Lowell Almen, reiterated the use of “voting member”. By changing who delegates’ represent, the churchwide organization begins to control the outcome of the Assembly and which resolutions or which documents are passed. That is how CCM was sold to the “voting members” in 1999.

The second step to churchwide authority is how the Churchwide Assembly is run. All resolutions and memorials directed to the next Churchwide Assembly which are passed by your congregation or your conference assembly and are approved by your synod, and those proposed on the floor of the Churchwide Assembly, are referred to either the “Reference and Counsel Committee” or the “Memorial Committee” before the Churchwide Assembly can act on them. The Churchwide Council can control these two committees because they appoint all the members to the committees with the approval of the Presiding Bishop. If reform proposals are brought to the Churchwide Assembly changing the churchwide organization’s authority over congregations or synods, they must be referred to one of the two committees. The Committee usually recommends more study, or referral to the Churchwide Council, or they receive a negative recommendation. Most “voting members” will follow the recommendation of the two committees, which postpones and usually kills any reform to churchwide‘s authority.

The third step to churchwide authority is how the “voting members” of the Churchwide Assembly elect the Churchwide Council. Eleven members of the 33 member Churchwide Council are elected at each Churchwide Assembly for a 6-year term. To be elected you must be nominated by the Nominating Committee or nominated from the floor of the Churchwide Assembly. Usually persons nominated by the Nominating Committee win election.

So how does an ELCA member get elected to the Nominating Committee? There are six vacancies on the 18 person Nominating Committee, which are filled by the “voting members” at every Churchwide Assembly. The Churchwide Council will nominate two persons for each of the 6 vacancies. By nominating people who the Churchwide Council can trust, assures the outcome of the election. But people can also be nominated from the floor of the Assembly and they must specify which person they will run against who the Nominating Committee has already nominated. This is a circular process. The Nominating Committee nominates the Churchwide Council and the Churchwide Council nominates the Nominating Committee. That is called absolute control.

The final step to churchwide authority is to make it very hard to amend the Constitution. If the Churchwide Council recommends an amendment, it will be sent to the Reference and Counsel Committee. The Committee usually recommends approval and if 2/3 of the “voting members” vote for the amendment, it is changed. But, if you are a “voting member” hoping to change the Constitution, you must get 25 “voting members” to sponsor the amendment. It is then sent to the Reference and Counsel Committee. Remember that this Committee is appointed by the Churchwide Council and approved by the Presiding Bishop. If the Reference and Counsel Committee recommends for the amendment, 2/3 of the “voting members” will usually vote for the amendment, but it does not amend the Constitution. The approved amendment, must wait for 2 more years and then the next Churchwide Assembly must vote again by a 2/3 vote to amend the Constitution. If that happens, the Constitution is changed. So you see how reforming the structure of the ELCA requires the patience of Job. But, with God, all things are possible.

Lyall A. Schwarzkopf is a member of El Milagro/The Miracle Church, ELCA, in Minneapolis.

He served as a: State legislator from 1963-1972 for south Minneapolis; City Clerk of Minneapolis for 14 years; Minneapolis City Coordinator for 10 years; Governor Arne Carlson’s first Chief of State

He has also written Articles of Incorporations, Bylaws and Constitutions for many organizations including church and other religious organizations; founded & former president of an Educational Foundation for the International City Clerks organization and helped to develop a Foundation for Metro Hope Ministries in Minneapolis; former president of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks;

He has attended the annual meetings of the International City Managers Association as well as the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors. He also attended two national political conventions.

He served as president of his local church 3 different times, parliamentarian to the S.E. Minnesota District of the ALC; and is active in many civic and governmental organizations.

* note

The author defines the

CHURCHWIDE ORGANIZATION

as including:

Presiding Bishop

Churchwide Assembly

Church Council

All Divisions, Commissions, etc.

In other words, all elements at the national level of the ELCA

see

Chapter 11 of The ELCA Constitution: “Churchwide Organization - Definition and Purposes”

Online at