ELCA bishop ‘hopeful’ amid animosities, economy woes

At its previous churchwide assembly in 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided to allow ordination of gay clergy, closing a controversial chapter on gay rights even as U.S. society remained divided over same-sex marriage and at loggerheads over economic and political issues.

In his 2011 report to the relatively sedate ELCA convention August 15-19 in Orlando, Florida, Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson declared that he was "more hopeful and grateful" than ever over the task of a moderate-progressive denomination in a nation tilting to the right. Put concisely, Hanson said, "We are a church with clarity about who we are."

Hanson said the ELCA seeks to embody "the message and ministry of reconciliation" despite preoccupations with economic indicators and political infighting.