The deadline for Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC) applications has been extended to November 1. 

The Gathering Volunteer Corps serves in multiple capacities throughout the Gathering. Duties might include ushering and assisting during Mass Gathering, helping with Interactive Learning activities, directing foot traffic in the convention center, staffing the info booth or moving equipment in a Gathering venue. GVCs serve wherever Gathering planning teams have identified the need for additional help.

GVCs must be at least one year past high school at the time of the Gathering and commit to being in New Orleans for one week, likely arriving Sunday, July 14, and departing Saturday, July 20, 2024.

• The Gathering will provide GVC volunteers with per diem or catered meals while on-site in New Orleans and shared lodging accommodations.

See what Kurt has to say about serving as a GVC and why he’s excited to be back in the bayou next summer. 

Don’t forget to get your applications in ASAP – you don’t want to miss this opportunity. Applications are live on the Gathering’s website!

Hello, I am Kurt Saenger-Heyl!  While I never attended the Gathering as a youth, it was on my radar as something that I wanted to do after I graduated from high school. So, I made sure that I didn’t miss the volunteer application deadline in 2012, and thankfully I was selected to volunteer as a Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC) member. I served again as a GVC in Detroit in 2015 and as part of the Safety and Security Team in Houston. I’m excited to be part of the Volunteers planning team this cycle, as well!

What are you looking forward to this cycle?

I really enjoy meeting so many Lutherans from all over the world! I have fun asking people where they are from, collecting the clothes pins or other tokens, and making fun connections with those whom I have met across the ELCA over the years. I also look forward to the Mass Gatherings each cycle—being with thousands of other folks singing, praying, worshiping, and dancing all together is truly something special! This cycle I am looking forward to being back in New Orleans where it all began for me! I’m also excited to reconnect with folks from previous Gatherings; those connections are so fun to rekindle every 3 years!

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to in New Orleans? 

Beignets from Café du Monde and worshiping with thousands of other Lutherans!

Fill in the Blank: “I am Created to Be Me” 

Written by: Bobbi Cyr (she/her)

One of the many ways we live out our faith in action is through volunteering. There are many different ways that this can be done through the Gathering and what better place to do it than in New Orleans with thousands of your best friends! Check out the Gathering’s website for more information on how to get involved as a volunteer. 

Learn how Anna went from being participant to volunteer and what that experience has meant to her—

Hello! My name is Anna Thompson and I attended the 2009 Gathering in New Orleans as a youth participant. That was the first time I understood just how big the ELCA is. It was wonderful to be surrounded by other young people living their faith out loud just like I was. 

I volunteered in 2012, again in New Orleans, while I was in college. I was so excited to be able to help facilitate the experiences I’d had just three years before.

In 2018, I was able to volunteer again. I’d moved to Texas and Houston was only a 5 hour drive away. I was in a different place in my life, as a full-fledged adult this time, but I still had an amazing experience. Plus, I got to connect with friends from previous Gatherings, my home congregation, synod, and college! 

Why do you like to volunteer? 

I love volunteering at the Gathering because I love getting to help pull it off. The Gathering was a key moment in my high school life and I love knowing that I’m a small piece in that puzzle for the new generation. This cycle, I’ll attend as an adult leader for my congregation in Fort Worth, TX. I’m excited to experience the Gathering from a 3rd perspective and help the youth from my congregation experience their first Gathering!

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to in New Orleans? 

I’m looking forward to walking down Canal Street after Mass Gathering, especially closing worship. The rainbow of shirts on display as we are physically, and theologically, sent out into the world is a memory I treasure of my previous two Gatherings in New Orleans!

Fill in the Blank: “I am Created to Be Joyful! ” 

Written by: Bobbi Cyr (she/her)

Servant Leadership at the Gathering with Companions and Coaches

Written by Bobbi Cyr (she/her)

As we have entered into the Easter Season, I have been especially drawn to the road that Jesus walked with his disciples. Jesus showed us how to be in community with, share in life’s joys and hardships with, how to eat with, pray with, serve with, and how to build relationships with one another. Even after death, we see the Resurrected Jesus walk the Road to Emmaus alongside people he had just met, and he gives us a model of a good companion. Jesus accompanies them in their journey, sharing in story, and breaking bread with them. We are called to actively participate in God’s mission in the world and like Jesus, we meet various people with whom we share in this journey. At its heart, accompaniment is walking alongside others with Jesus, as we answer God’s call to mission.  I believe this is what it means to be a Servant Coach and Companion at the Gathering.

How Do We Accompany the City in Which We Serve

In mission, our companions on the road may be individual people in our own community, in other communities, or around the world. As we accompany these companions, it’s important to remember that service comes in all forms. When we think about Accompaniment Day (formerly known as Service Learning), we need to remember the story of the road to Emmaus and that we are here to walk this road with the people of New Orleans. Tiffany Wilson, serving on the Accompaniment team, reminds us, “We need to enter into this space with an intentional mindset that we do not serve to save. [New Orleans] is doing just fine on its own.  We are here to accompany the city in the ways in which God’s already working through these partners. As we prepare, we are intentionally asking our partners how we can help them reach their goals.” That might be a physical task, but it also might be educational in learning about the culture and food, or more justice-centered work. Regardless of what this service looks like, as we engage in God’s mission through accompaniment, we must remember that in order to proclaim the Gospel, we must first place priority on being in relationship. 

What does Servant Leadership Look Like at the Gathering?

Accompaniment is one of the central experiences of the Gathering. Remember those companions who enter our life and walk alongside us on the journey? As you engage in the purpose of Accompaniment day, you will not be alone on the road; Servant Companions will walk alongside participants and their leaders helping them to connect with local organizations, hear their stories, work together, and learn how to engage in similar work at home. Servant Companions are a pivotal link between the Gathering participants and the Accompaniment team. These leaders guide congregational groups as they learn, experience, and serve alongside the people of New Orleans.  

So You Were a Participant… Now What?

Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with Evan Rogaczewski who started his journey with the Gathering in New Orleans as a participant in both 2009 and 2012. Like many young adults after high school, Evan found it hard to stay connected to the church while going to college. Since he enjoyed the Gathering as a participant, he found that volunteering as a Servant Companion was an easy choice and one way that he could stay involved, while accompanying youth as they served. Evan recalled how helpful it was to have companions guiding him on past mission trips. He shared that when things don’t always go right, it is nice having someone who has been there; especially someone who not only thrives in the midst of chaos, but can help provide stability in those situations. Evan wanted to be one of those people to support others and volunteered as a Servant Companion in both Detroit (2015) and in Houston (2018). 

For Evan, his favorite part of being a Servant Companion was building relationships with fellow volunteers, several of whom he is still good friends with 6–8 years later. When the days are long and exhaustion sets in, there may also be a lot of inside jokes that keep the team afloat. Being a Servant Companion provides a great opportunity for growth. As both a Coach and a Companion, you are in a position where you have to be calm and think on your feet. The greatest growth, both personally and in faith, happens when we are challenged and stretched. Evan shares that beyond the early mornings and the work, it’s really the community that makes it worth all it and why he keeps coming back!

Answering the Call

God is actively at work in the world and in the city we are being called and sent to. Together, we will be in mutual relationship with the city of New Orleans, asking how we can actively participate in God’s mission and work.

Both Coaches and Servant Companions are equipped to share the good news and serve our participants as they work to serve the neighbors of New Orleans. 

Coaches train, mentor, and support young adults who serve as Servant Companions during the Gathering. 

Servant Companions guide Gathering participants as they learn, experience, and serve alongside the people of New Orleans on their Accompaniment day. 

God invites us to the table and sends us to go out as companions to walk with and to serve. When we tire, our fellow companions hold us up; when our faith is weak, our companions remind us of what we have seen and shared together. Like the people on the road to Emmaus, God gives us companions for this purpose. 

Learn More and Apply

Is the Holy Spirit stirring within you to accept this call to be a Servant Coach or Companion in New Orleans?

Applications to be a Servant Companion Coach are open through June 2. Apply Here!
Applications for Servant Companions will open on June 15. Get more information on Volunteering of the Gathering HERE.

A message from Deacon Tammy Jones West, 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Program Director—

First, there is no curtain but for a peek into the behind-the-scenes happenings of the ELCA Youth Gathering, let me start with my first few months on staff.

Let me introduce you to the people who are called to serve this ministry at the Churchwide office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I am Deacon Tammy Jones West and I serve as the Program Director for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering. Alongside me is Justin Wilson who was originally hired as communications/social media person but has wowed us all with his ability to step up into so much more. That’s it friends. Justin and I aren’t singing – just the two of us but it’s true – sort of. (Plus, Justin is way too young to even know the line to that song.)

That’s just those of us at the Churchwide office. We plan to hire another staff member to help with registration/housing in the coming months, and soon the Churchwide organization will be searching for the person God is calling to be the next program director to begin planning for 2027 and beyond.

Now, there’s another group of people who you need to know, and we’ll be announcing these individuals shortly, but the group formerly known as Team Leaders, now Directors, are the backbone of this event. Nine people who will build teams, supervise managers, and make the magic happen. What are those roles?

Directors of…

• Accompaniment
• Community Life
• Interactive Learning
• Logistics
• Mass Gathering
• Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE)
• Gathering Synod Champions
• the tAble
• Volunteers

Serving alongside the directors and forming what we call their core team will be managers of…

Safety and Security, Medical, Transportation, Operations, IT, Justice/Advocacy, Service Learning, Cultural Immersion, Bible studies, Tech and Talent, Champion’s Square, Partners, Administration, and more.

That’s not all friends. Once the Gathering lands in New Orleans, implementation teams join the family. That’s 99 additional people, who will help make these teams work and thrive.

One more important group to remember— our volunteers. 415 volunteers give up a week of vacation to serve this ministry and be with our young people as they explore God’s grace and love.

And finally, adult leaders. Those who really make this ministry happen. The planning, praying, fundraising, details, love, and care that adults who bring our young people provide is invaluable. So, it’s just the two of us and thousands more.

Let’s do this friends— we’ll see you in New Orleans!

Since the start of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in 1988, New Orleans has hosted the ELCA Youth Gathering and pre-events three different times. The city has a unique blend of history, culture and beautiful venues that are within walking distance of one another— making it a prime location for the 2024 Gathering.

Emphasizing the Mississippi River and connecting it to our Baptism, River of Life was the theme of the 1997 Gathering. It was a time when less than 40% of the population had a cell phone and none of them were smartphones. Pictures were taken on a camera that then was taken to the store to develop and then later to relive the memories of a time together.

Most notably, under the theme of Jesus, Justice, Jazz in 2009, the Gathering attempted something no other group has ever attempted nor to our knowledge still has— have every attendee participate in a Service Learning experience. It may seem normal now, but at the time it was something that had never been attempted. Heidi Hagstrom, the former Gathering Director said “I think the best words for the Gathering are ‘bearing witness.’ We would love it for young people to come to (New Orleans) and hear stories, learn the history, and discern how God has been present in the disaster that has happened there.” Prior to the 2009 Gathering, Hurricane Katrina ripped through the city of New Orleans causing catastrophic damage and at the time was the worse natural disaster to hit the United States.

“Bearing witness means that you need to step into the story of another person, to understand the call to justice and be a part of the need in the city for a long time and witness to that,” Hagstrom said.

When returning home after the Gathering, participants will be asked to share the story of how God is present in New Orleans and look for ways to live like Jesus. The Superdome that hosted Mass Gathering each night had once been a place where people had sought shelter, and some had unfortunately lost their lives just a few years earlier. During worship one evening, Bishop Mike Rinehart of the Texas – Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod declared the Superdome as a sacred space and a place for healing. It was a bold task to provide service projects for that many people, but there was a ton of work that we were called to do to help our neighbors in that moment.

In 2012, we returned under the theme of Citizens with the Saints. After listening to community leaders in the city of New Orleans, participants responded by showing up to learn justice, to walk justice, and then practice justice by being in the community in various ways.

Instead of being called “Service Learning”, this cycle young people went out to “Practice Justice” through literacy camps, neighborhood cleanups, absorbing information about injustices in the city, experiencing unique cultures, painting murals, backyard gardening and more. There was even work that wasn’t finished from 2009, that we were able to finish in 2012. All connected to God‘s restorative work that was ever living and connected with the people of New Orleans. Other daily themes focused around “Practice Discipleship” and “Practice Peacemaking.”

In the evening, participants came together in the Superdome to hear inspirational speakers such as the Rev. Yehiel Curry (now Bishop of Metropolitan Chicago Synod), the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, activist Shane Claiborne, and 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee. We also sang and danced to performances from Rachel Kurtz, AGAPE*, as well as many local jazz bands and artists.

The stage is set. We’re headed back in 2024 to listen and learn from our neighbors in New Orleans, to grow in our faith and be inspired to live like Jesus.

A group of faithful young people and adults will soon be gathering to discern a theme for the 2024 Gathering. To help their discernment, we invite you to provide a few suggestions through a Google Form.

Until then, be safe, love your neighbor and live like Jesus.

by: Adam Knudson

I am an ordained pastor and serve on staff at a Lutheran Church, but I am not an ordained ELCA pastor. My background is Presbyterian. My first Gathering experience was in New Orleans for the 2009 Gathering, Jesus Justice Jazz. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d never been to Louisiana before, I’d never attended such a large youth event before, I was afraid of what it would be like to lead a group of a couple dozen youth and adults around a city that I had never visited. Why did I agree to do this anyway?

Our church is in California and while there are MANY churches and many large churches in California, there are not a lot of Lutherans and even fewer large Lutheran churches. Attending the Gathering offers the youth from my church an opportunity to understand their place and their identity within a larger community. When the ELCA gathers tens of thousands of youth from across the country and beyond, some of our best values and our highest priorities are showcased, highlighted and lived in vibrant and compelling ways. 

When our youth attend the Gathering, I don’t need to teach a lesson, read a Bible story, or prepare a class on what we believe or how God calls us to live in the world. The core values of our faith are written large on giant screens, crowded buses full of folks with bright orange shirts ready to serve, and youth and adults willing to listen to the stories of our hosts as we enter their communities and their cities.

The ELCA Youth Gathering has opened my mind to understand the great breadth and depth of what it means to be Lutheran. The Gathering has given me a chance to share this perspective with our youth, to hold up their faith as a mirror in which they can see who they are and in turn, our youth return home and share stories with our congregation. For me, the Gathering is an opportunity to participate in the kin-dom of God and to recognize God’s family as a place where I belong.

Adam Knudson has served as Youth Pastor at Hope Lutheran in Fresno, CA for thirteen years. He is involved in youth ministry networks in his community and Synod.

by: Kyle Lefler

Jesus walked. Miles & miles across the hills and valleys of the Holy Land. He and his disciples traveled great distances with little comforts to be with, among and beside the people.

While we need not always travel great distances to be of service to others, we are called to be out among our neighbors. We are called to listen for where there is a need, to pay attention to injustice and to respond in ways that further God’s vision of justice on earth.

My own faith journey has been deeply strengthened by participating in acts of service, both in giving and receiving. As a young person, my youth group served through acts of generous charity and our leaders helped us understand how that charity could move into justice work through education and systemic change. Any work of service is best done in mutuality, where we are listening and responding to a need, rather than offering our own solution. The Gospels provide us with dozens example of that mutuality, through Christ’s society-shaking, humble actions.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I attended the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering in San Antonio and saw service in action on the largest scale I had ever witnessed. There were dozens of organizations educating young people about needs in the world and empowering them to participate in advocating for and serving those in need. Many of us had never had the opportunity to learn and grow in such a way. We saw the Gospel being acted upon in tangible, accessible ways and learned about the calling we have as Christians to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. 

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of leading groups through their Service Learning day at the Gathering. We have WALKED  the streets of cities from New Orleans, Detroit and Houston, listening and learning from those communities, and serving in ways that respond to their needs. I have seen young people’s attitudes transform from tiredness and disinterest to excitement and desire to do more in the course of just a few hours. Together, we become better disciples when we humble ourselves to listen and give of our own gifts of time and privilege. I believe Service Learning can be the most powerful moment of the Gathering for many of the attendees, as they experience a new place and find God’s calling within themselves… then take that calling back home to their own community.

May we always boldly go and do likewise.

Kyle Lefler serves as the year round program coordinator at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in NW Montana, overseeing year round retreat programming and onsite summer camp operations. Kyle is passionate about working with young people in God’s Creation and striving to create intentional community spaces where they are unconditionally loved & accepted, empowered & advocated for. She loves early morning lake swims, handwritten letters & the Avett Brothers.

– Zoe Clark

Hi, I’m Zoe and I’m 19 years old. I had the opportunity to go to two Gatherings and I am so excited to share a little bit about how the Gathering changed young adult life.

In New Orleans, I was one of the youngest participants in my group. I did not know what would await me, but I knew that it would be great. In New Orleans, the Gathering showed me that I was part of a community much larger than myself. It ignited my desire to do service and step up in leadership. When I returned home, I knew that the next time I went to a Gathering, I wanted it to be a different experience.

In Detroit, I was one of the oldest participants. I had a little bit more knowledge going into the event. Because of that, I felt that it was important make the Gathering an inspirational experience for others since I had already had the experience for myself. I reached out to leaders in my community. I was lucky enough to assist in leading Synod Day, where I found myself in a role that made the Gathering so different from the one I attended before.

For Houston, my third Gathering, I am helping to write the Pre-Gathering curriculum. I plan to volunteer at the Gathering as well. I always find my way back to this event, each time in a different role. My involvement with the Gathering is coming full circle, exactly as I had hoped after experiencing New Orleans.

When I first heard, “Why the Gathering?” my answer immediately was, “Why not?” That’s not really an answer, considering that it gives zero insight.

The Gathering sparked something inside me I did not know I had; it made me feel part of something bigger than I knew existed. The Gathering enabled me to grow in my faith, leadership, and service, along with providing me with the ways to do so.

The Gathering theme for Houston, “This Changes Everything,” has never been more accurate in my life and the lives of so many who have gone, served, and experienced. It’s time to see what the Gathering will ignite in you.

– Natalie Zielinski

Once you experience the Youth Gathering, you keep wanting to come back.

I was lucky enough to attend the past two Gatherings. They were both were life-changing experiences for me. The Gathering helped me find my faith at a time where I was struggling. When I went to my first Gathering in New Orleans, I was getting ready to be a freshman in high school. I spent the past year battling an illness no one could figure out, and I was being bullied for having to use crutches and a wheelchair to get around. I was depressed and felt very alone, and I needed something to help me feel like I belonged.

Everyone I knew talked about amazing experiences at a Gathering and how it had changed their lives. I just hoped maybe it would change my life, too. It ended up having a bigger impact on my life than I ever imagined. When we got there the first night, I was amazed at the sheer number of youth that were surrounding me. Just standing in the sea of youth was such a powerful experience all on its own.

After hearing people like Nadia Bolz-Weber, Shane Claiborne, Leymah Gbowee, and so many others speak throughout the week, I had an “aha moment.” I heard all of the different stories and struggles other people faced and I started to not feel so alone.

The Gathering made me realize that I wasn’t the only one who felt out of place and didn’t know where to go. I realized I was part of a bigger story.

The Gathering made me realize that God has a plan for me, even if I don’t understand or know all of the plan.

I wouldn’t be the same person I am today if I hadn’t been to a Gathering.

CHICAGO – Miembros de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América (ELCA, por sus siglas en inglés) se reunirán entre el 8 y 13 de agosto en asamblea en el Centro de Convenciones Ernest N. Morial en Nueva Orleans. Reunidos en torno al tema “Freed and Renewed in Christ: 500 Years of God’s Grace in Action” (Liberados y renovados en Cristo: 500 años de la gracia de Dios en acción) entre los asuntos de la asamblea se encuentran los preparativos para celebrar el 500 aniversario de la Reforma en 2017.
La asamblea —el más alto organismo legislativo de la ELCA— está integrada por 980 miembros con derecho a voto que asisten en representación de los 3.7 millones de miembros de la ELCA. Los 65 sínodos de la ELCA eligen a los miembros con derecho a voto que acudirán a las asambleas generales.
“Las asambleas generales son una combinación de sesiones legislativas, adoración, estudio bíblico, reflexión teológica y comunidad”, explicó la reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton, obispa presidente de la ELCA. “Deliberamos, conversamos y votamos. Algunos dirían que es una forma engorrosa de llevar a cabo la obra de la iglesia, pero es un proceso maravillosamente abierto”.
Como parte de la planificación de la celebración de la Reforma, se invita a los miembros que no tienen derecho a voto a asistir a la Asamblea de Gracia, entre el 10 y 13 de agosto. Los participantes experimentarán los procesos de la asamblea y también se prepararán para las celebraciones del 500 aniversario en el marco de sus congregaciones y sínodos. “God’s Grace in Action Afternoon” (La tarde de la gracia de Dios en acción) ofrecerá un aprendizaje empírico sobre varios temas, con el fin de inspirar a los participantes a emprender acciones a su regreso a sus hogares, entre los que destacan: Música, justicia y paz; desde la doctrina del descubrimiento hasta #BlackLivesMatter (#LasVidasNegrasImportan); trata de seres humanos; cuidando de la creación, y seguridad alimentaria.
“Suele pasar que los miembros de las congregaciones no son conscientes del alcance de la más amplia iglesia”, dijo Eaton. La Asamblea de Gracia proporcionará a un número aún mayor de los nuestros la oportunidad de ver a toda la iglesia en acción. Podemos hacer mucho más juntos de lo que podemos hacer por separado. Y cerca de 2,000 luteranos cantando suena divino”.

Entre los puntos clave de acción en la asamblea se encuentran:

• Elegir un vicepresidente de la ELCA. Carlos Peña, el vicepresidente actual, ha decidido no buscar un tercer mandato. Peña ha prestado sus servicios durante 13 años.
• Considerar las recomendaciones del grupo de trabajo de Palabra y Servicio de que las tres listas de líderes laicos de la iglesia se unifiquen en un solo cuerpo conocido como diáconos.
• Votar sobre las recomendaciones de la Estrategia de la ELCA para acompañar a los migrantes menores de edad con protección, incidencia, representación y oportunidades (ELCA Strategy to Accompany Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities, o AMMPARO).
• Considerar “Declaration on the Way” (Declaración sobre el camino), documento que resume 50 años de diálogo entre luteranos y católicos, en preparación para el aniversario de la Reforma.

Los miembros con derecho a voto también recibirán:

• Una actualización sobre la primera gran campaña de recaudación de fondos de la ELCA, Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA (Siempre siendo renovados: la campaña para la ELCA). Aprobada por la Asamblea General de la ELCA de 2013, esta campaña busca recaudar $198 millones de dólares con el fin de contribuir a ampliar los ministerios de esta iglesia.
• Un informe de la obispa presidente y de los funcionarios de la ELCA.
• Informes sobre los ministerios nacionales de la ELCA, incluyendo el Programa de la ELCA para Aliviar el Hambre Mundial y la Respuesta Luterana ante Desastres.
• Propuestas (conocidas como memorias) de los 65 sínodos de la ELCA, entre las que se encuentran: repudiar la Doctrina del descubrimiento; profundizar en las relaciones con las iglesias negras históricas; un futuro energético responsable; apoyar al personal militar, los veteranos y sus familias, y paz con justicia en Tierra Santa.
• Propuestas presupuestarias para los periodos de 2017 a 2019.
• Saludos de invitados ecuménicos, asociados globales y otros.

Además de los miembros con derecho a voto, cientos más participarán en la asamblea en calidad de observadores de las congregaciones de la ELCA, invitados ecuménicos especiales y líderes globales, presidentes de los ochos seminarios de la ELCA y de sus 26 facultades y universidades, miembros asesores y de recursos, personal y más.
Los miembros de la ELCA y otras personas que no asistan a la asamblea pueden acceder al video en vivo de las sesiones plenarias en ELCA.org/ChurchwideAssembly.
La sala de prensa de la ELCA se ubicará en la Sala 227 del Centro de Convenciones Ernest N. Morial de Nueva Orleans. Están programadas dos conferencias de prensa durante la semana. El 10 de agosto, Eaton y otros hablarán de las consideraciones de la asamblea con respecto a la “Declaración sobre el camino”. El 12 de agosto, una conferencia de prensa presentará al nuevo vicepresidente de la ELCA. Se invita a los reporteros a participar en persona o por teleconferencia. En otro momento se proporcionarán más detalles sobre las conferencias de prensa.

Sobre la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América:

La ELCA es una de las mayores denominaciones cristianas en Estados Unidos con más de 3.7 millones de miembros en casi 9,300 congregaciones en los 50 estados y la región del Caribe. Conocida como la iglesia de “La obra de Dios. Nuestras manos”, la ELCA enfatiza la gracia salvadora de Dios por medio de la fe en Jesucristo, la unidad entre los cristianos y el servicio en el mundo. Las raíces de la ELCA se hallan en los escritos del reformista alemán Martín Lutero.