The ELCA makes innovation a priority for future growth

​CHICAGO  — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mikka McCracken as the new Executive for Innovation and Director, ELCA Leadership Lab. This new role will serve as a change champion, equipping and supporting the development of key leaders to address the most pressing problems of the church. 

"The way people hear and receive the gospel is changing at a at an increasingly rapid rate. The competitors of the gospel are many. What hasn't changed is the liberating good news that we are loved and are set free to serve the neighbor. The Leadership Lab gives us the space to experiment and innovate in real time so that more people can know more about Jesus and experience the love of God," stated Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA.

McCracken feels an innovation culture powered by the vocations and passions of many will help break through silos that too often render the church irrelevant in people's lives, our communities and the world. 

"I believe that God's grace and love in Christ matters and I am excited to be part of Bishop Eaton's vision for the future of this church. The Leadership Lab will be a church-wide innovation space where people can co-create, design and dream new and useful ideas, process and projects. This work will be new, and different, and hard, but in a way, it's a true call back to our Reformation roots. We want to become the innovation denomination."

A South Korean adoptee and life-long ELCA Lutheran, McCracken served most recently as Director for Strategy and Engagement with ELCA World Hunger. From 2010-2017, she served on the Lutheran World Federation international council, and currently serves on the Vorstand of the ELCA Wittenberg Center in Germany. McCracken is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and is currently pursuing a certificate in management excellence from Harvard Business School Executive Education.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

Contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@elca.org