Presiding Bishop hosts second Town Hall
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), responded to a variety of questions about the economy, ecumenism, evangelism, youth and young adult ministries, decisions of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly and more at a "Town Hall Forum" here March 7. This was the second in a series of online forums hosted by Hanson.
He responded to 18 questions from a studio audience and members of the church watching online. Carlos Peña, ELCA vice president, Galveston, Texas, introduced Hanson and posed questions from viewers.
Bishop Hanson said the churchwide staff is thinking creatively about how to extend lay ministry training events in a time of diminishing resources, with a vision of training 1,000 evangelists who can go out into communitiies to gether people around the Word.
"We have only begun to imagine the possibilities...of lay ministry training that will bring renewal through the church and to the church," Bishop Hanson said.
A seminarian asked the bishop what the church's need for rostered leaders is. This year there was "a pretty equal balance" of new graduates and congregations appropriate for first calls, Hanson said. He called for seminaries to form missional leaders, some of whom could plant new churches right out of seminary. Hanson also said he hopes more congregation will start second campuses to extend missional ministry into the world.
