Health Care

Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor expresses ELCA teaching on health and the health care system. Its vision of health as a shared endeavor rests in a biblical view that wholeness is a blessing God intends for all people. In this vision, a ministry of healing is integral to the life and mission of the Church. This shared endeavor means each person bears some responsibility for his or her own health, but health and health care also depend upon other people and conditions in society and our communities.

Guided by this vision, the statement addresses the health care system and its primary areas, from congregations to medical research.  It describes broad commitments to guide discernment and work toward change in a political, economic and cultural environment that often is more adversarial than cooperative. This social statement was adopted in by the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

Follow these links to find supplemental resources for understanding this social statement:

• Engage with the study guide
• Read an introduction
• Read a brief summary
• To order multiple copies of the social statement click here