Saturday, 8/13/05

Pr. Said Ailabouni, ELCA Global Mission, answered questions on Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Lutheran World Federation ministry.

Voting members rose to applaud Bp. Younan (ELCJHL)

Minnesota Compline Choir

Large screens in the plenary hall display the amended text of proposed governance documents. The amended proposal failed.

Bp. Hanson and resource people for the discussion on the recommendations relating to the ELCA Strategy for Engagement in the Middle East. From left: Presiding Bp. Hanson, Pr. Randy Lee (ELCA Ecumenical Affairs), Pr. Said Ailabouni (ELCA Global Mission), Dr. Rebecca Larson (ELCA Church in Society), Mr. Dennis Frado (ELCA Church in Society), Pr. Rafael Malpica Padilla (ELCA Global Mission), Ms. Lita Busick Johnson (ELCA Global Mission)

Bp. Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), spoke to the Assembly by telephone from Jerusalem. He thanked the ELCA for its accompaniment and companionship relationship. Bp. Younan is a vice president of the Lutheran World Federation and will host the LWF Council meeting in Bethlehem later this year.

Worship services are communicated in American Sign Language.

Saturday's worship included a healing rite.

Preparing for Holy Communion and the service of healing

Voting Members from Virginia Synod

A young girl in India wrote this poem after the tsunami. The next part of the poem includes a thank you to all who helped...now she agains "loves her dear ocean."

Nancy Arnison replaces the Rev. John Halvorson as program director for ELCA World Hunger.

Joanne Chadwick (Executive Director, Commmission for Women) and Linda Post Bushkofsky (Executive Director, Women of the ELCA) at the banquet celebrating women in ministry.

Joanne Chadwick, Executive Director, Commission for Women, and Ann Tiemeyer (Metro New York) former chair of the Commission for Women Steering Committee

ELCA women synodical bishops (from left): Carol Hendrix, Wilma Kucharek, Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, Marie Jerge, Margaret Payne, Margarita Martinez, and April Ulring Larson

Bishop April Larson (La Crosse Area), emcee for the Celebration for Women in Ministry

Ms. Linda J. Brown (Chair, Budget and Finance Committee, Church Council)