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Fit to Print
Abstract: ELCA News Service slow to acknowledge defrocking.
The Committee on Appeals action in the Schmeling case was posted on the Southeastern Synod's website on July 5 and announced at a press conference called by St. John (Atlanta) that same day.
After the news broke, the first press release issued by the ELCA News Service was titled "ELCA Names Rossing Physics Scholarship Recipients".
Among the recipients of the award are: Daniel Endean, Holland, Mich., a junior at St. Olaf College, and Kent Bodurtha, Eagan, Wis., a senior at Augsburg College, Minneapolis. The award of Jake Bennett, Lexington, Va., a senior at Roanoke College, Salem, Va., was renewed for the third consecutive year.
Among the first alternates were Brett Anderson, Plymouth, Minn., a senior at St. Olaf College, Reid Larson, Eagan, Minn., a junior at Augsburg College, and Andrea Schiefelbein, Fall Creek, Wis., a junior at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. They are all to be congratulated on this fine achievement, and we hope that their future accomplishments will be treated respectfully in the news media.
Later in the day when the ELCA News Service finally acknowledged Pr. Schmeling's removal from the roster, the press release included this explanatory paragraph:
"Decisions of the Committee on Appeals are not made public by the ELCA churchwide organization. According to the ELCA Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions, summaries of decisions are to be reported to the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the church's highest legislative authority, which will be here at Navy Pier Aug. 6-11. In this case, the decision of the Committee on Appeals was released July 5 by [Bishop] Warren and posted on the synod's Web site, and it was released at a July 5 news conference at St. John Lutheran Church, Atlanta, the congregation [Pr.] Schmeling has served since 2000."
The portion of CBCR to which the release refers is CBCR 20:61.A92k.
