Jerry Webster and Bob Wohlfort attended the New England Synod Assembly held June 9-10, 2023. Video recordings from Friday, June 9, 2023, and Saturday, June 10, 2023 are provided. Below are reflections from Jerry and Bob.
REFLECTIONS FROM JERRY WEBSTER:
Although the assembly was titled “Death and Resurrection,” there were actually two themes that wove them through all of the 2023 New England Synod Assembly. The first, “Death and Resurrection,” focused on the challenges facing shrinking churches and changing demographics. The second was the report of the antiracism team, the results of their work on identifying what needed to happen to create a more inclusive Lutheran church.
The theme of “Death and Resurrection” focused not only on the theological concepts, but also on our lived experience as individuals, and families, and as communities of faith. A special focus was on the death of congregations as they experience either closure or merger, an experience that is becoming increasingly relevant across not only ELCA congregations in our synod, but across the United States.
The Friday session was given to the antiracism team to both present their report and the issues they believe need to be addressed. The team members each shared an experience of racism they had in both the institutional ELCA settings and in congregations. As part of the reflection on racism, they also had assembly members share their experiencing, either as being the subject of the racism, ways they had seen expressions of racism, or others experiencing racism. For me, it was a reminder of an undercurrent of racism that we often ignore and fail to address.
REFLECTIONS FROM BOB WOHLFORT:
Some information for review: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), of which we are a part, is made up of 9 geographical districts; 65 synods (smaller geographical areas); each synod elects a bishop; New England Synod (NES) is Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. There are 156 congregations in the NES. In our ELCA 31 of the 65 bishops are women. It was no accident that the worship leaders and spokespersons were women…predominantly nonwhite women.
The mood and the energy in the ballroom of the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, was mostly upbeat, joyful, attentive and at times deeply reflective as we gathered around the theme of Death and Resurrection.
What seized me the most was the diversity of 459 delegates and visitors. We live and are church in an area of NH that is predominately white…save for the diversity of Dartmouth College. Not so much to our south. We are part of a synod that encompasses many people of color…Black, brown, Asian, and Native American. Friday night’s Eucharistic worship at Trinity Church, Worcester, was printed and spoken in Spanish and English as were the prayers for Saturday’s closing worship. The preacher for that service was the Reverend Darrell Goodwin, executive conference minister, Southern New England Conference for the United Church of Christ…a Black man who stirred and challenged us to roll away and break open the stones of the tombs that shut up justice of God’s people.
We were treated to videos of pastors and lay persons mourning the closing of their cherished buildings and taking this moment in time to discern this as an opportunity time along with a grieving time. [This moment in time I liken to Holy Saturday…that time when the shock of the death of Jesus is beginning to be real and the not yet time of resurrection.] We viewed videos of remarkable and imaginative new ministries being born within and with congregational communities.
The Anti-Racism Initiative of the NES is bold, energized, and led by BIPOC and some white persons.
We were informed of the Youth Gathering in July 2024; 20,000 to 30,000 high school youth; along with a gathering of young adults 18-35 years old; and a gathering of youth with special needs….in New Orleans coming together with the theme Created to Be.
Pastor Ruben Duran brought news from Chicago, the churchwide office. A man from Lima, Peru of Inca heritage (as is his wife) whose each of 3 children married a Mexican, a Norwegian, and a Swede. And there are grandchildren…a family microcosm of the ELCA and of our nation. At this moment in time, 47% of newborns in the USA are white.
Ascentria (formerly Lutheran Social Services) is emphasizing the need for foster parents and elder care and supporting refugees from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Haiti, and Venezuela.
Camp Calumet, 2 hours from OSLC is preparing to open for youth and summer camp.
World Hunger: The NES raised $232,000….the most of any of the 65 Synods! Many synods are twice our size.
Finally, in 2024 a new bishop will be elected. Bishop James Hazelwood, who visited OSLC a few months ago, will complete 2 terms/12 years. A task force began work a year ago and has developed a clear, transparent process for this important task. Anyone of you may nominate a pastor for this position. Visit www.nelutherans.org/bishopelection to learn more.
Our Savior Lutheran Church and Campus Ministry 