The Bismarck Tribune: Bishop Mark Hanson told a gathering of Lutherans Jan. 22 in Bismarck, N.D. that, although the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is struggling with growing pains and dealing with thorny and complex issues, "a healthy church will be full of tension" as it tries to find a balance between diversity and uniformity.
The presiding bishop of the 5.1-million-member ELCA, with headquarters in Chicago, talked to about 100 clergy and laity from Bismarck-Mandan and the surrounding area at Trinity Lutheran Church about the issues that are at the top of many members' minds, including the sexuality report released this month that will likely be on the front burner at the Churchwide Assembly in Orlando in August.
Besides the sexuality study, Hanson spoke and answered questions about evangelism, church structure, ecumenism and his work as president of the Lutheran World Federation.
