Lutheran CORE convocation a great event!

More than 1,200 Lutherans from throughout the United States and Canada took actions Saturday, Sept. 26, that they hope will lead to a reconfiguration of Lutheranism in North America. The Lutherans were in Indianapolis for a Convocation formally organizing the Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (Lutheran CORE). Attendees came from 41 states (including Alaska), Washington, D.C. and three Canadian provinces. One attendee, a Brazilian Lutheran pastor, traveled from Brazil to be at the convocation.

"I believe it is abundantly clear that God is reforming the churches of the Reformation," said Ryan Schwarz of Washington, D.C., a member of the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee. "The question for us is how we will respond to the clear invitation to re-vision Lutheranism.

The Convocation took action to adopt a constitution and to change Lutheran CORE from a Coalition for Reform to a Coalition for Renewal. This action is more than a name change. It is a change in focus from renewing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to a renewing organization and an alternate church fellowship for Lutherans.

A DVD of the Convocation presentations is available from Lutheran CORE. The text of many of the speeches will be available online at www.lutherancore.org.

More than 1,200 expected at Fishers

The response to Lutheran CORE's Convocation, Sept. 25-26, in Fishers, Ind., was so overwhelming that the site for the gathering had to be moved to a larger church. More than 1,200 people are expected to be at the event. Registration had to be closed due to the number of people wanting to attend.

Holy Spirit Parish at Geist in Fishers graciously offered to host the convocation. It will seat almost twice as many people as the original host church, Christ the Savior Lutheran Church in Fishers.

Those attending are encouraged to arrive early on Friday afternoon to ease the flow of traffic into the church. Registration begins at 1:00 p.m.

WordAlone to look for new ways to work with Lutheran CORE and LCMC

The WordAlone Network Board, in a conference call on Thurs., Sept. 17, expressed the Network’s commitment to work with its reform partners in Lutheran CORE and to work with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) following the convocation in Fishers, Indiana.

The WordAlone board approved two motions in its call. In the first, the board expressed its desire to continue to work as an integral and supportive part of Lutheran CORE, as it makes the transition from a “Coalition for Reform” to a “Coalition for Renewal” — by building on the positive relationship and mutual cooperation the two groups have shared over the past several years. The motion read as follows:

Recognizing Lutheran CORE's proposed implementing resolution four (see Paull Spring’s Sept. 4th letter) to the Convocation in Fishers, Ind., resolved that the WordAlone Network establish a task force jointly with Lutheran CORE to discuss the future of both organizations and how they can work together; and ask for a report from the task force to the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee and WordAlone Network Board of Directors by March 31, 2010.

In the second motion, the Board offered its input and support to Lutheran CORE in the form of a “working proposal” for how WordAlone could assist in strengthening the connections among Lutheran CORE and LCMC, and the congregations and members associated with each. A brief abstract summary of the proposal read as follows:

The Board of the WordAlone Network offers for discussion a proposal to use its existing resources, staffing, and partnerships to help create a new district within the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, called the “LCMC Central District.” This district would be intentionally designed to serve as a “landing area” for congregations leaving the ELCA, allowing those who are newly joining LCMC to remain connected with the partners in the larger movement toward the reform of Lutheranism in North America. This Central District would work respectfully in cooperation with other districts and congregations of LCMC, while at the same time maintaining relationships with individuals and chapters of the WordAlone Network, as well as with Lutheran CORE and other reform groups within the ELCA.

Approved for review as a “discussion draft” to solicit feedback from members of WordAlone, Lutheran CORE, and LCMC, the six page proposal will be made available online following decisions of the Fishers Convocation. Watch for more information to come!