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Anniversary Theme

“Freed and Renewed in Christ” is the theme used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) churchwide organization in its observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation that began with the 95 theses that Martin Luther first made public on Oct. 31, 1517. “500 Years of God’s Grace in Action” is a tagline that has been incorporated with the theme into a single graphic representation.

In “The Freedom of a Christian” (1520) Martin Luther famously wrote “A Christian is lord of all, completely free of everything; a Christian is a servant, completely attentive to the needs of all.” The ELCA’s theme expresses this message of the Christian faith’s freedom and a renewed life of service to others in Jesus Christ.

ELCA churchwide 500th staff:
The Rev. Marcus Kunz, Ph.D, Executive for Theological Discernment
Mr. Rob Campbell, Manager, 500th Anniversary Communications
Ms. Heather Dean, Grace Gathering Coordinator and Administrative Services
Ms. Brooke De Jong, Projects Coordinator, 500th Anniversary


500th Anniversary Advisory Board:
The Rev. Robert Moore, Ph.D, Reformation 500 Representative in Wittenberg/Leipzig
Bishop R. Guy Erwin, Ph.D – Glendale, Calif.
Dr. Guillermo Hansen – St. Paul, Minn.
The Rev. Diane Pederson – St. Cloud, Minn.
Dr. Patricia Savage – Holidaysburg, Pa.
The Rev. Martin Seltz – Minneapolis, Minn.
Mrs. Allison Siburg – Vancouver, Wash.
The Rev. Monica Villarreal – Flint, Mich.
The Rev. Dr. Timothy Wengert – Riverton, N.J.