11/21/2016 12:55:00 PM

CHICAGO – The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) took action that will help determine the future directions and priorities of this church when it met here Nov. 10-13.

The council, which serves as the ELCA’s board of directors, adopted Called Forward Together in Christ – ELCA Strategic Directions 2025. The document provides a framework for shared leadership across the ELCA to realize common goals and better meet challenges the church may face in the future. It is the result of a process that invited the 3.7 million members of the church into conversations to provide ideas and feedback about the future of the church.

In her report to the council, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton addressed the Called Forward Together in Christ process and said, “We’ve seen that leadership and faith formation seem to be two major priorities that have been identified everywhere across the church.”

Eaton emphasized the work of the advisory committee to the Church Council created by the Theological Education Advisory Council. She said the committee is working to implement ideas that will lead to “more effective development of leadership, recruitment – support and development of leadership, as well as faith formation.”

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