In the video we shared at our 2022 Synod Assembly, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton urges us to follow Luther's example and use modern tools to spread the gospel, just as Luther shared the good news with the help of Gutenberg's printing press. 500 years ago this year, Martin Luther published his first translation of the New Testament into German vernacular.
Read MoreBishop Elizabeth Eaton will join faith and government leaders on June 17, 2022, to mark the seventh anniversary of the racially motivated shootings at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. Watch the event here.
The leaders will participate in a commemorative Bible study event that will kick off a yearlong Bible study across the country. The theme for the event, "What Kind of Soil Are We?," is taken from Mark 4:1-20, the Bible passage the Emanuel Nine were studying on the night they were murdered by Dylann Roof (who was raised in an ELCA congregation).
Read MoreThe Conference of Bishops (COB) met Sunday evening; Bishop Megan Rohrer chose not to attend. I shared that I am initiating the discipline process immediately, including suspension of Bishop Rohrer, based on additional information that has come to light. The COB strongly affirmed this decision. This process will take time, and I will provide updates as appropriate. I ask for your continued prayers for this church.
Read MoreAfter listening to the concerns of this church, careful review of the report of the Listening Team and other accompanying documents, consultation with outside legal counsel, and prayerful reflection and discernment, I have decided not to bring disciplinary charges against Bishop Rohrer.
While I am not inaugurating formal disciplinary processes at this time, there remain enough serious concerns that influence Bishop Rohrer's ability to remain impactful in their role that I have asked Bishop Rohrer for their resignation, which I believe to be in the best interest of all parties involved. Leer también en español…
Read MoreWe celebrate the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the ELCA and reaffirm our commitment to the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the United States.
Read MoreOn May 18, 2022, ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton and 44 ELCA synod bishops, including Bishop Hutterer, wrote to Congress about their concerns related to the funding of Augusta Victoria Hospital. Read the full letter here: ELCA Bishops’ letter to Congress concerning US funding for Augusta Victoria Hospital.
Ask your Members of Congress to restore funding for Augusta Victoria Hospital and the other East Jerusalem hospitals (This form will give you a sample letter you can personalize and send).
Read MorePresiding Bishop Eaton wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to express her “profound shock and sadness concerning the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin, the West Bank, on May 11 and the deplorable disruption of her funeral procession on May 13.”
Read the letter from Bishop Eaton to Secretary of State Blinken on the killing and funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh and join Bishop Eaton in taking action by writing to Secretary of State Blinken here. (The action alert will give you sample language that you can edit and personalize).
Read MoreThe pandemic has resulted in years of isolation, anxiety, loss and grief. In her May column for Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that we can “remain isolated and reactive, or we can live as the new creation in Christ and be a witness to the world of the reconciliation we have received from God.” Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3sHQkOL and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3PwkzCm.
Read MoreOur unity as Christians is through Jesus Christ, the One who embodies God's grace among us. Every day we dive into our baptism, through which God promises grace and mercy and draws us out to love and serve neighbors.
Yet, there are times when, even in our unity, we do not agree. The people of this church and this country have various and perhaps contrasting responses to the Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion on abortion. Regardless of where each of us stands on the issue, the ELCA's 1991 social statement on abortion speaks to all of us.
Read MoreBishop Eaton shares a message regarding the listening panel which reviewed the interactions of Bishop Megan Rohrer with Misión Latina Luterana leading up to and on Dec. 12, 2021, and asks for prayers for all concerned in these matters. Leer en español también.
Read MoreMay is Mental Health Awareness Month and Bishop Eaton reminds us that caring for our mental health is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of courage, faithfulness and hope.
Greetings to you for a joyous Eid al-Fitr.
On this blessed occasion, I write to share "A Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to the Muslim Community." Through this message to you, we recommit ourselves to the heart of both our theological traditions: love of God and love of neighbor.
Read MoreThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will observe its 35th anniversary on April 30, 2022. On this date in 1987, the ELCA constitution was adopted during the opening session of the Constituting Convention in Columbus, Ohio.
To symbolize the formation of the new denomination, the bishops from the three predecessor church bodies poured water from separate containers into one baptismal font.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shares her letter to 2022 assemblies. View as PDF in English or Spanish, and also read in this post.
“Theresa of Avila talked about the church as the hands and feet of Christ in the world, the very way God will work to engage new people.”
Read MoreApril is Fair Housing Awareness Month and Bishop Eaton encourages us to continue the Lutheran tradition of being advocates for fair housing legislation and “tackle the legacy of segregation, housing discrimination, and ongoing disparities of homeownership for persons with disabilities, or based on race and gender.”
Read MoreAs we return to a post-pandemic world, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that we will need the “word of the Lord—the Word that calls us back to our center, which is the steadfast love of God, law and gospel, judgment and promise.” Read her April column for Living Lutheran in English and in Spanish, or download as PDF or Word document.
Read MoreAs we enter the third year of this pandemic, we see the signs of stress and incivility, even the signs of war and disease in Ethiopia and Sudan, in Europe. It might seem like death still has sway, but Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us to declare confidently on this Easter and all times "I know that my Redeemer lives.”
View in this post, on YouTube, or download the video here. Read the message as PDF in English or Spanish.
Read MoreAs we prepare to celebrate Earth Day later this month, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shares some examples of how Lutherans are caring for creation and addressing climate justice.
God calls us to be stewards of the earth, and to fully integrate creation care into our love of God, neighbor and everything in our environment. Learn more at https://elca.org/environment.
Read More“For those of you who are wondering about the particulars of the process to address the issues that arose in the Sierra Pacific Synod, I want to give you an update on the ways in which we are moving forward.” (This update is provided in English and en español.)
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