[LIVE BLOG] Business Session 1

4:00 pm 04/27/12: Words of welcome from our co-chairs Pastor Deb Loudin-McCann and David Timmons. David explains some of the social media sites and guidelines we will be using this weekend. Pastor Kyle Rouze explains about the Glocal-cache Challenge. See him for details! Bishop Kevin Kanouse offers words of welcome and recognizes some important guests with us. There are about 268 voting members and about 187 lay persons present for a total of approximately 450 people at this time.

4:15 pm: Bishop Kevin asks some control questions for the Voting Pad testing.
Q1: Is this your first Mission Assembly?
62 - Yes; 172 - No; 21 - Mission Assembly? I thought this was the general gathering of the United Nations.
Q2: Where is your congregation located?
Q3: How did you become a Lutheran?
Q4: How many social statements does the ELCA have?
Q5: Have you ever read a Social Statement of the ELCA?
183 - Yes; 40 - No; 18 - I didn't know we had any social statements.
Q6: Have you ever studied a social statement and provided feedback to the study group preparing it for the churchwide assembly?
132 - Yes; 124 - No
Q7: Generally as an aid to understanding various social issues and questions I find social statements...
160 - helpful.; 88 - not helpful.
Q8: Generally as an aid to understanding various social issues and questions I find social statements...
131 - Useful.; 79 - Not Useful.
Q9: ELCA social statements...
154(majority) - guide our public church
Q10 In regards to ELCA soc statements...
160 - Keep preparing them.; 99 - Stop preparing them.
Q11: I'm excited to participate in the Mission Assembly?
206 - Yes; 3 - No; 45 - Why am I here?

4:23 pm: Stephanie Varnum presents the agenda. Agenda is adopted as presented. Motion to adopt the standing rules for the 2012 NTNLMA. Standing rules are adopted as presented.

4:32 pm: Pastor Pat Dietrich presents the slate of candidates for a variety of positions. Nominations are opened. Pastor Deb Loudin-McCann was nominated in addition to the slate as female rostered voting representative to the ELCA National Assembly. Parma Kerstin and Anne Hafften were nominated in addition to the slate as female lay voting representative. Arthur Momo was nominated in addition to the slate as male lay voting representative. Lauren Lys was nominated in addition to the slate as a female young adult representative. All running unopposed were elected by acclaimation by a vote of 262 to 2.