The ELCA seeks to be in partnership with ecumenical partners and other groups in working to reduce our burden on the earth by curbing pollution, avoiding waste and reducing our consumption as a society, including the consumption of land. We also commit our congregations to being institutions that practice and model sound environmental stewardship. As communities of moral deliberation, we welcome having a place as well as being a place where tough issues can be honestly addressed and where diverse ideas on issues can be discussed, including questions of farm practices, land-use planning, development, and population. Local churches are an important part of the fabric of our society. The size of our congregations is derived from the size of the general population in an area.
Small congregations are difficult to maintain.
A 10,000 square foot development for a church is unreasonably restrictive. In most cases, a congregation s needs will be met with facilities between 25K and 30K square feet. If flexible zoning techniques are used such as doubling the base density of lots of 10 acres or more providing 35K square feet and even larger for institutional use is reasonable. We advocate for a policy of conditional use permits for churches in rural areas. Taking into account the location and features of a particular location.