Bishop Mark Hanson speaks on current issues in the ELCA

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, who began
his second six-year term Nov. 1, asked the 37-member council to
join with him in "shared leadership" for the ELCA. One-third of
the council members were attending their first meeting after
their election at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly.
Hanson also discussed other topics:
+ "Interreligious relationships are absolutely critical,"
Hanson said. A "Lutheran-Muslim Consultative Panel" is being
formed, he said.
+ Hanson identified four challenges for the ELCA: building
trust throughout the church, creating awareness by telling the
ELCA's "story," raising expectations for what the Holy Spirit is
doing, and lowering anxiety about sexuality as the church
prepares a social statement on human sexuality for consideration
at the 2009 ELCA assembly.
"We cannot let that social statement define solely the life
and work of this church or our leadership," Hanson told the
council. "That's going to take shared leadership. If we become
so preoccupied with 2009, we are conveying a message that
sexuality defines this church, and (because of) sexuality, this
church could potentially be divided. Frankly, that's heresy.
That's absolute heresy. The gospel of Jesus Christ defines this
church."
"I think this (the social statement) is hugely important
work for us in these next two years. I'm committed to it, but I
will not let it solely define my leadership of this church,
because I think that's not responsible," he said.

{source-ELCA}