Social Statement Resources
Social statements are social policy documents, adopted by an ELCA Churchwide Assembly, addressing significant social issues. They provide an analysis and interpretation of an issue, set forth basic theological and ethical perspectives related to it, and offer guidance for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, its individual members, and its affiliated agencies and institutions. They are the product of extensive and inclusive deliberation within this church. Since 1991, the ELCA has adopted ten social statements.
Sexuality Statement Resources
The ELCA Social Statement on Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust can be found on the ELCA website. There you will also find an executive summary, Frequently Asked Questions, Background Information, and Other Resources.
ELCA Bishops have received requests to produce possible resolutions for Synod Assemblies regarding the Social Statement and Ministry Policies passed at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly. You may download five Templates For Possible Resolutions and use as desired.
The resolution templates in the document are:
- Memorial to Rescind [amend] Action on Ministry Policies
- Memorial to Encourage Full Implementation of Actions on Ministry Policies
- Resolution [Memorial] to Remove [Revise] Social Statement
- Memorial to Encourage Full Implementation of the Social Statement
- Memorial Regarding Calls to Rostered Ministry
A small packet of resources was created to assist in planning for annual meetings and to help answer questions that you or members of your congregation may have has been mailed to rostered and lay leaders. You may download the resources here. These resources include:
- Information for Annual Meeting Planning
- Consequences of Withholding or Redirecting Mission Support from the ELCA Churchwide Expression and Consequences of Leaving the ELCA
- Deciding on the Withholding or Redirecting of Mission Support
- Some Questions and Answers Regarding the Human Sexuality decisions of the ELCA.
Additional Resources
Homily from Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of Atlanta In this homily given October 1, 2009 marking the 10th Anniversary of the Signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory gives a response to the ELCA decisions on human sexuality and how we can continue in ecumenical dialogue.
ELCA Ordination of Persons in Same-Sex Committed Relationships, by the Rev. David W. Preus, professor emeritus at Luther Seminary and bishop emeritus of the American Lutheran Church (ALC)
The Bible, the Church, and Faithful Discernment, by the Rev. Dr. Brian Peterson, Professor of New Testament at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina
Essays and Studies, Faithful Journey Resources from the ELCA website.
South Dakota Synod Faith Fact Cards. If you or your congregation would like copies of the Synod Faith Fact Cards, please e-mail or call Kevin Stillson at kstillson@sdsynod.org or 605-274-4011.
Congregational Declaration Regarding the Ministry Policy Actions, borrowed from the Northwestern Minnesota Synod.
An Open Letter from Bishop Dave, on why he is staying in the ELCA
Social Statement on Genetics DRAFT Resources
For information on the process for the Social Statement on Genetics in the ELCA and download the draft, visit the ELCA website.
ELCA FactChecker – A blog for ELCA members and others who seek accurate information about the Draft Social Statement on Genetics.
Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson was recently featured in an interview with Orion Samuelson on “This Week in AgriBusiness”. Bishop Hanson answers questions about the church, its relationship with agriculture, and portions of its Proposed Social Statement on Genetics. The full interview may be viewed or listened to on the ELCA website.
LivingLutheran.com featured a great response to the ELCA’s Social Statement on Genetics from the perspective of an ELCA-Lutheran farmer “It Must Be In My Genes”.
On September 15, 2010 Janet Williams, a member of the task force that wrote the Social Statement on Genetics for the ELCA, spoke at a seminar at Augustana College. The audio from that presentation can be found here: A Genetic Counselor’s Point of View- Writing the ELCA Social Statement on Genetics
