The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gathered at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, Nov. 14-17. The council, which serves as the ELCA churchwide organization’s board of directors and interim legislative authority between meetings of a churchwide assembly, focused much of its work on preparations for the ELCA 2025 Churchwide Assembly.

In her report to the council, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton spoke of God’s Love Made Real as the umbrella for the church’s vision of “a world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ make for all people and creation.” The vision calls for two distinct strategies for the church moving forward: the church that is and the church that is becoming.

Eaton emphasized that the focus of this work is to build out ways to strengthen and walk alongside congregations and the ministries that take place outside the walls of a traditional church building. “All these people, we all desperately need to hear the liberating word of Jesus and the gospel,” she said. “So how do we connect with them?”

In key actions, the council:

·      Approved amendments to “Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA” that were drafted in response to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Audit. The audit report was presented to the council at its fall 2023 meeting.

·      Recommended to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly certain amendments to “Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA” that were brought to the council by the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC).

·      Approved a 2025 fiscal year current fund spending authorization of $67,875,000 and a 2025 ELCA World Hunger spending authorization of $21,500,000.

·      Passed a social policy resolution affirming support for and collaboration with Jubilee USA Network. The ELCA is a founding member of the network, a coalition aimed at debt relief for under-resourced countries and redirection of resources to reducing poverty and providing health care and education to people living in poverty and with deep need.

·      Named Des Moines, Iowa, as the site for the 2028 Churchwide Assembly.

·      Approved amendment of certain continuing resolutions in “Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA.”

·      Received reports and approved actions related to the creation of a racial justice ombudsperson position, as recommended by the task force on the ELCA Discipline Process for Rostered Ministers of Color.

·      Recommended to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly amendments to “Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA.” Topics include the Candidacy Leadership Development Working Group, on-leave-from-call status and specialized ministry, and allowing participants of synod-authorized worshiping communities to be elected as voting members of assemblies and to other elected positions.

·      Acknowledged amendment to the governing documents of this church related to nonbinary inclusion and to gendered language in the constitution.

·      Received a report and affirmed recommendation of the Task Force on On-Leave-From-Call and Specialized Ministry, and requested a final report for its spring 2025 meeting.

·      Deferred action on an ELCA name change until after the 2025 Churchwide Assembly.

·      Received the Holy Communion Practices report of the Worship team and encouraged continued dialogue and discernment on sacramental practice.

·      Approved criteria to establish and maintain relationships with ELCA outdoor ministries.

·      Affirmed the recommendations of the Service and Justice home area on the ELCA Strategy Regarding Black Migrants. This is in response to a 2022 Churchwide Assembly action requesting the preparation of a proposal to strengthen the advocacy, protection and accompaniment of Black migrants.

·      Encouraged congregations to implement the recommendations of the resolution “ELCA Advocacy for Peace and Justice in the Middle East and Dismantling of Christian Zionism in Our Churches.”

·      Elected members of the boards of directors of Wartburg Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, elected a member of the advisory board for Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary at California Lutheran University, elected a member to the board of trustees of the Publishing House of the ELCA (Augsburg Fortress) and appointed a member to the board of directors of National Lutheran Campus Ministry.

The council received/engaged in the following:

·      An update on and discussion of the work of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church.

·      An update on God’s Love Made Real and the ELCA Vision team.

·      An update from Portico Benefit Services, addressing the “reExamined” project.

·      Reports and updates from officers, the chair of the Conference of Bishops, and committees of the Church Council.

·      Racial justice and gender justice education.

·      The meeting of the Luther College Corporation.

·      Personal reflections on faith from council members.

·      Worship, prayer, Bible study and fellowship.