Issue 95 of Administration Matters
Created to Be
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.” —Psalm 139:14
Last month the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans brought together 14,235 youth participants, 292 young adult participants, 595 MYLE participants, 72 tAble participants, 712 volunteers/team members and 225 partners in interactive learning. Over five days these participants:
• Represented 1,207 congregations.
• Visited 207 accompaniment sites around New Orleans.
• Donated 3,000 relief buckets going to 20-plus communities across southeast Louisiana.
• Cooling towels were the most donated item!
• Occupied 37 hotel properties.
• Cruised back and forth to the airport 150 times.
• Communed together with 340 chalices and 170 patens.
• Shuttled teams and participants around the city with 60 rental cars and 123 buses.
What the numbers don’t tell us are the stories. Of Lutherans showing up for local organizations that were accustomed to broken promises. Of volunteers and team members who took vacation time to be part of this experience because it was part of their faith journey. Of smiles and high fives that, locals said, brought joy and a few pedestrian traffic jams to the city (maybe more than a few!). Of the work we do as a church, around this country and around the globe. Of speakers who were brave, authentic, free, disruptive disciples. Of the congregations that rallied around sending their young people to this event, and the adults who made it happen. We should write a book.
Thank you to each of you for the ways you helped make this event happen. Blessings on all that you do.
Politics, the pulpit and tax-exempt status
As we approach another contentious election, we often receive inquiries about permissible political activity for congregations and other ministries of the church. Our primary resource for this topic is here. Links to other resources can be accessed here.
It’s important to remember that all 501(c)(3) organizations — including congregations, schools and social ministry organizations — have an obligation to adhere to these guidelines. The short version is that congregations and other ministries may not support or endorse candidates for office, but they are permitted to engage in issue advocacy and neutral political activity (e.g., nonpartisan registration drives, serving as a polling location, etc.). Pastors, deacons and other church employees can endorse or support candidates, but only if they are clearly acting in their personal capacity and not in their capacity as leaders or employees of their congregations or other ministries. For instance, pastors are prohibited from endorsing a candidate from the pulpit or on the congregation’s Facebook page, or from placing a candidate’s political advertising on the congregation’s property.
Portico will offer value copay and Roth in 2025
During this fall’s annual enrollment, for 2025, Portico will offer a new ELCA-Primary health benefit option and a Roth after-tax retirement contribution option. The new Value Copay health option will help make plan members’ costs for many health care visits and lab tests predictable and manageable, with a price for sponsoring organizations that falls between the current Gold+ and Silver+ options. The Roth retirement contribution option will be effective Jan. 1, 2025, for members with an ELCA Retirement Plan account.
Sponsoring organizations and plan members were notified in August via email of 2025 rate and benefit changes. If your organization currently provides Portico benefits, talk to your members about their health option preferences, if possible, then select your organization’s 2025 ELCA-Primary health option on EmployerLink, Oct. 1-14. The 2025 Decision Guide and Custom Comparison Report are now accessible for registered EmployerLink users.
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