Church and Civic Engagement: A Study
West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod

Contents

Introduction

Churchwide Actions

Common Questions

A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith

Additional Resources

A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith
Access Study Curriculum

Government and Civic Engagement
on
ELCA.org

Introduction

Churchwide Assembly 2019 authorized the development of a social statement on government, civic engagement, and the relationship of church and state. We are now entering the study phase.

Churchwide Actions

Churchwide Assembly 2019

Action taken by Churchwide Assembly 2019:

    To receive with gratitude the memorial from the Minneapolis Area Synod requesting a social statement on the role of government, the nature of civic engagement, and the relationship of church and state; and
    To authorize the development of an ELCA social statement on government, civic engagement, and the relationship of church and state that will allow thorough attention to scriptural, historical, theological, and social issues as a means to probe, share convictions, and establish this church’s comprehensive teaching in accordance with the “Policies and Procedures of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns” (2018); and
    To urgently request the ELCA Church Council to authorize a social message as a priority in the development of a social statement. This message would elaborate in one place what this church already holds regarding issues such as public church, the vocation of citizenship, and the relation of church and state in accordance with “Policies and Procedures of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns” (2018). — CA19.05.29; carried, 782-82

The action quoted above was the response of Churchwide Assembly 2019 to a memorial submitted by the Minneapolis Area Synod. The full text of that memorial reads,

    Whereas, the Lutheran tradition historically has been strongly supportive of the need for, and functions of, government; and
    Whereas, the increasingly bitter politics of the past decade have generated much skepticism about, and hostility towards, the role of government in a free society—even calling into question the basic legitimacy of government; and
    Whereas, the members of the ELCA could benefit from thoughtful exploration of the many issues concerned with the functions of government and civic engagement; and
    Whereas, the ELCA social statements address the great social institutions of contemporary life, but have not yet addressed the nature and role of government, the call to civic engagement, or the relation of church to state in any churchwide document; and
    Whereas, the ELCA has significant resources to draw upon, including the statements of predecessor Lutheran bodies, recent publications, and members involved with government at all levels and from many perspectives; therefore, be it
    Resolved, that the Minneapolis Area Synod in Assembly memorialize the 2019 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to initiate the development of a social statement on the role of government, the nature of civic engagement, and the relationship of church and state.

Comparison of the memorial with the final action reveals some differences. To explain those differences, it is worth noting how the legislative process works. In this case, a synod memorialized the Churchwide Assembly, initiating the legislative process. Memorialization may be understood as making a petition or a request of some entity to take some action, the instrument being called a memorial, the term employed in the ELCA, though the words request or petition are reasonable synonyms. Under our rules, the memorial is automatically referred to the Memorials Committee. This committee reviews the memorial and makes a recommendation to the Churchwide Assembly regarding its disposition, this recommendation usually being called the response of the Memorials Committee. The response can recommend adoption of the memorial (as is), some action consistent with it, an alternative action, referral, or declination. At the Churchwide Assembly, members may attempt to sway the committee to change its response. If the Memorials Committee included its response in an en bloc recommendation, members may attempt to remove from en bloc for separate consideration. Once on the floor of the Churchwide Assembly, the response is subject to a wide range of parliamentary motions and open to debate.

The Memorials Committee response read,

To receive with gratitude the memorial from the Minneapolis Area Synod requesting a social statement on the role of government, the nature of civic engagement, and the relationship of church and state; and
To authorize the development of an ELCA social statement on government, civic engagement and the relationship of church and state in accordance with the “Policies and Procedures of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns” (2018).

This response was issued in the Report of the Memorials Committee in the Bulletin of Reports published prior to the assembly. In an open hearing of the committee during the assembly, Bishop Riegel attempted to convince the Memorials Committee to instead order a review of Church-State Relations in the USA: A Statement of the American Lutheran Church (American Lutheran Church, 1966) and A Social Statement on Church and State: A Lutheran Perspective (Lutheran Church in America, 1966). The committee declined the offered substitution, and its original recommendation came to the floor as presented in the Bulletin of Reports.

Once on the floor, the response of the Memorials Committee became a matter of lengthy debate, and the recommendation was more than once amended on the floor, yielding the final version printed at the top of this section. The full debate, including amendments and other motions, can be downloaded here and reviewed. Note well, the debate was twice interrupted for other business.

Church Council of the ELCA

Upon adoption, the Church Council of the ELCA became responsible for appointing a task force to work on the development of the social statement and setting the parameters, such as deadlines, within which it works. This process is governed by ELCA policy codified in Policies and Procedures of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns. The Church Council appointed task force members in 2020 with instructions to report in 2025.

Task Force

The Task Force has been meeting since its appointment several times a year. It has approved a study document that is now before the church for feedback. It will eventually release a draft social statement that will also be subject to feedback. Final consideration of a social statement is by the Churchwide Assembly, a ⅔ vote being necessary for adoption.

As part of the Task Force's work, listening posts were conducted across the church. At these listening posts, clergy, laity, and even non-members of the ELCA were invited to testify. A listening post was held at the Lutheran Campus Chapel at WVU.

Eighty clergy and laity applied to serve on the task force. Of them, fifteen were selected by the Church Council. Bishop Riegel serves as one of two bishops on the Task Force.

Common Questions

Two big questions are frequently asked about all this. Rather than cutting and pasting, we recommend reviewing what is printed on the ELCA.org. Click the question you are interested in exploring and don't be shy about exploring the links on those page.

A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith

The study curriculum has been published under the title, A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith (click on the link to access). The curriculum includes six sessions. It is designed for group sessions, but an individual can also use it. Leaders and participants guides are included. Additional resources are also linked on the page.

If you would like advice or assistance organizing a group, contact the WV-WMD Synod HQ.