November 1, 2005 Question: Who wants to be a Lutheran minister?

Q: How long does it take to become a Lutheran pastor? A: a) 6 years; b) 3 years; c) 4 years; d) schooling not required Q: How much does it cost to become a pastor? A: a) it's free! (the church pays for everything); b)...

---

September 1, 2005 Cost of excluding gays and lesbians will be 'much higher'

Life is a kind of art form. We draw many conclusions — often conflicting—from identical premises. Like a sharp knife, which slices clean and straight, we make clear-cut decisions, but our rationale is often skewed,...

---

June 1, 2005 Lutheran vote on 'local option' will be difficult decision

We Lutherans are now in the home stretch, just weeks before our national convention in Winnipeg, July 21-24, 2005. The 400 or so delegates will vote on the recommendation of National Church Council (NCC) for the approval of...

---

April 1, 2005 Will we step back from the threshold or bite the bullet?

Given its linear-bound cultural conditioning, the church is always in jeopardy of losing its kairotic direction, meaning and prophetic voice. The current conflicts over sexual identity and homosexual rights, new meanings of...

---

February 1, 2005 Church polls pastors on their work

Pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) annually complete a Confidentiality Report for their respective bishops, in which they reflect on their experience in ministry by responding to a series of questions.Â...

---

January 1, 2005 Clergy shortage looms for ELCIC

My class of '74 at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon was a portrait of homogeneity: young, male, married and invincible. Many of us were PKs (preacher's kids), steeped in denominational traditions and practices, secure...

---

December 1, 2004 Lutherans urged to 'accompany' Anglicans in prayer

The current questions related to human sexuality, such as the blessing of same-sex unions, continue to be a divisive issue from which church, media and politics are not detached. Like the Anglican church, the Evangelical...

---

October 1, 2004 Lutherans address housing, pensions and sexuality

"Here in this place, new light is streaming," began the first hymn of the opening eucharist as the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) met in a four-day convention at Brock University in St....

---

September 1, 2004 Lutheran church tries to avoid shortfall in pension plan

A recent report from the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada stated: "Fifty-nine percent of all defined benefit pension plans are running deficits, requiring $160 billion to cover the shortfall." In the...

---

June 1, 2004 Lutherans adopt new three-fold strategy for life of the church

One of the hallmarks of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) is our phenomenal diversity. We are a people of unique cultures and ethnic traditions. We Canadian Lutherans worship in at least a dozen languages and...

---