Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Lutheran Assembly Votes for Ecumenism

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America vowed to pursue Christian unity through “full communion” with other churches. In a “Declaration of Ecumenical Commitment,” the biennial assembly in Orlando, Fla., of the 5.2-million-member denomination overwhelmingly voted to work toward holding a common faith, sharing the Lord’s Supper and providing for exchange of members and ministers with other Protestants, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. “As a confessional church that is evangelical, catholic and ecumenical, this church will pursue the goal of full communion and will rejoice in all movement toward that goal,” the 6,000-word document said.