This series contains correspondence to and from Bishop Chilstrom and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) staff. While most of the correspondence is from churchwide staff, there are occasional letters from ELCA lay members. These letters deal with questions regarding specific functions of some ELCA units, such as commentary on articles published in Lutheran Women Today or responses to Bishop Chilstrom's column in The Lutheran. Files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the ELCA unit, then chronologically with the unit files. Files for ELCA units that have changed names are filed under each separate name. For example, the Commission for Communication changed to the Department for Communication; there are files for both units. The following is a listing of current and past ELCA Unit names, showing which files relate to each other: Current ELCA Unit Name; Former ELCA Unit Name(s) Department for Communication; Commission for Communication Department for Ecumenical Affairs; Office for Ecumenical Affairs Department for Human Resources; Office for Personnel Department for Research and Evaluation; Office for Research, Planning and Evaluation Department for Synodical Relations; Begun in 1992 (services such as the Office for Federal Chaplaincies originally were under the authority of the Office of the Bishop) Division for Church in Society; Division for Social Ministry Organizations and Commission for Church in Society Division for Congregational Ministries; Commission for Financial Support and Division for Congregational Life Division for Higher Education and Schools; Division for Education The correspondence includes general business letters, such as letters of congratulations to people upon appointment to positions in the ELCA, as well as letters from Bishop Chilstrom regarding the daily operations of the ELCA. One part of this series does not contain correspondence from ELCA staff, however. The correspondence contained in files regarding Bishop Chilstrom's column in The Lutheran are not from ELCA staff; rather, they are from ELCA lay members who read the column. These responses were filed by Bishop Chilstrom's staff with the unit correspondence and are thus included in this series. Additional responses to Bishop Chilstrom's The Lutheran column can be found in the subject correspondence, ELCA 9/1/1/2/9, arranged by the subject of Chilstrom's column (such as the ban on homosexuals in the military).
