Denomination

Nearly 200 high school seniors and young adults signed commitment cards indicating they are ready to serve as ordained elders and deacons in the United Methodist Church.

They answered the call to ministry at a gathering over the weekend as church leaders told them their leadership was needed urgently.

"God is calling us to bring some freshness, some newness, to be innovative. God is calling you to lead us to that," the Rev. Tyrone Gordon, pastor of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church in Dallas, said at Exploration 2009, as reported by the United Methodist News Service. "It doesn’t matter how old you are. And when you hear God’s voice speaking to you, you don’t have to be afraid because God’s not going to leave you alone." more >>

A group of Lutherans announced Wednesday that they will begin work on a proposal for an alternate church body that would accommodate those who want to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

"Many ELCA members and congregations have said that they want to sever ties with the ELCA because of the ELCA’s continued movement away from traditional Christian teachings," said the Rev. Paull Spring of State College, Pa., chair of Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal).

The renewal group's steering committee made the announcement during its Nov. 17-18 meeting in Minnesota. more >>

The head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America reported that 40 positions may be cut as the denomination struggles financially.

"These have been very painful days in this organization," ELCA Presiding Bishop the Rev. Mark S. Hanson told the Church Council Friday, according to the ELCA News Service.

Lutherans are looking to reduce their 2010 budget by 10 percent due to decreased giving over the past 30 years, the economic downturn, and the decision by some congregations to withhold funding. more >>

The Presbyterian Church in America is pushing its "every church plant a church" campaign to help bring more people to Christ.

Launched this year by the denomination's domestic mission arm, Mission to North America, the thrust was designed to create a grassroots church-planting culture in the PCA.

"We’re not inventing any new methodology here but we’re crystallizing concepts we’ve clearly seen God use, and encouraging people to take more steps in this direction," said Fred Marsh, associate coordinator of MNA, in the denomination’s byFaith magazine. more >>

The San Francisco Presbytery has approved the ordination of an openly homosexual minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

But already, opponents of the move say they have collected enough signatures to stay the ordination.

"We believe that what San Francisco Presbytery did was unconstitutional, and we expect to see the error corrected," said Sarah Hill, coordinator of the Presbyterian Coalition, according to Religion News Service. "The presbytery cannot ordain the candidate until the legal process is complete." more >>