With the theme "God's work. Our hands." the 2014 Assembly focused on the connections and partnership between congregations, the Synod, and the churchwide expression of the ELCA.

"To do God's work with our hands, we need to know what God is about," the Rev. Dr. Mark S. Hanson told the 2014 Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly in his keynote address. To do that, "we need to be communities of discernment," fluent in the Scripture narrative and able to identify what God is doing based on what God has done, he said. Once we discern what God is up to, we can put our hands to work, Hanson said: Open to receive God's love and embrace others in pain, active in "radical hospitality, linked together to counter the forces of evil, and ready to let go and experience loss. As Easter people, we do not need to be afraid, Hanson said. We are free to reconcile, restore, and give life, justice and peace to all that God has made.   Read more...

Rev. Hanson's keynote is available on video, designed to be paused for group participation and discussion, in our video library. Watch or download it at http://vimeo.com/94971231 

The bishop's address is available on video in our video library. Watch or download it at http://vimeo.com/94588314 

As the church has moved out of the center of society, with people no longer feeling a duty to attend and with many other cultural narratives on a par with Scripture, church leaders can feel as if they are constructing an airplane while it is in flight, Kairos consultant David Lose told the Assembly. Every faith tradition has seen declines in attendance and giving in the last decade.  "This gives many of us feelings of distress, concern, anxiety and shame," said Lose.  This shift "is due to massive cultural change, greater than we have seen before in the history of the U.S."

This significant change is hard, but it offers the possibilities of resurrection if the church and its leaders adapt and learn to thrive in this new environment, he said. Lose reported on a wide-ranging survey of synod leaders, including clergy, congregation council members and other lay leaders, conducted this spring to gauge the landscape our Synod operates in. The survey results show that there is a deep consensus that the Synod needs to operate in new ways. Just 1 percent of respondents said that "no change" is required, while 99 percent report their preference for change.  Read more and view video...

Financial support from the 159 congregations within the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod was up slightly in 2013 to $2.139 million, allowing for continued support of the new faith communities and programs that are at the core of SEPA's mission. This halts decades of declining giving, drawing praise from Synod Treasurer Janet Huber Neff, CPA. Neff noted that 81 congregations either maintained or increased their support to the Synod and ELCA. Sixty-eight congregations met or exceeded their intents. "They heard us and gave more," Neff said. Forty-two gave 9 percent or more of their regular receipts. Read more... Watch video...

The Assembly unanimously approved a $3.14 million budget for 2015, which anticipates flat income from Mission Support and a $224,000 shortfall. The new budget holds the line on expenses and includes a modest increase for Synod staff - the first in seven years. The 2015 budget does not depend upon an increase in Mission Support, although Finance Chair Rev. Karl Richard expressed optimism that giving would increase again this year. "We are hoping you will at least stay steady going forward," Richard said. "We would love it if you also start increasing."  Read more...   Watch video...

Vice President Tracey Beasley used her Assembly report to demonstrate that SEPA is the synod whose members roll up their sleeves and make a difference. "Even when the economy is bad, when members want to cut back on tithes, when we had a bad winter, when some are dealing with buildings falling apart and busted pipes, even in the midst of all that, we are doing God's work with our hands, and I want to lift you up," she said. She cited the slight upturn in Mission Support giving, along with outreach efforts such as offering Ash Wednesday ashes to commuters, taking the Gospel to pubs, congregations joining forces to resettle refugees and the majority of congregations who engage in fighting hunger, as signs God is at work in the Synod. "It's all worth it, because you're saving souls," Beasley said. "God has reminded me time and time again: He has not brought us this far to leave us."  Read more and view video...

Justice is what love looks like in public. In keeping with the Assembly's theme of togetherness and partnership, Judith Roberts, ELCA's Director of Racial Justice, spoke to the gathering about the initiative We Are Church Together. "We are church. We are Lutheran, woven together as part of the ELCA. We are church together-all four million members. And we are church for the sake of the world," said Roberts.  "We are Church-Together. We believe God is calling us into the world together," said Roberts. "May the God of life guide us to lead and be peacemakers."  Read more...  View video...

Bishop Burkat's Sermon on Matthew 12:9-14 (click image to watch)

"Hands are a miracle -- with 27 bones, the richest source of tactile feedback in the body, and the greatest positioning capability. It's appropriate that we use hands to describe the lives we live together with God." 

"What is your withered hand? What is withering in your heart? What is not functioning the way God intended? How are communities struggling and cut off from others-withering?"   Read more

Rev. Hanson's sermon from Friday eucharist. 

"Take out your imaginary cell phone and take an imaginary selfie. Nothing that we would see in that selfie will save us, make life whole, raise us from the dead or make us alive together with God. No part of us, or all of us, will save any of us. That is God's work."    Read more

MacPhersons' Say 'Asante Sana'

Tom and Susan MacPherson Skyped into the Assembly along with a classroom of students from Irente School for the Blind in Tanzania. They sang, shared the Lord's Prayer with us in Kiswahili, and blessed the Assembly for our partnership. The MacPhersons' 3-year term ends this year. Read more...  Watch video...

2017 is Coming

The Reformation at 500 committee shared some of the resources, discussions, events and experiences that will bring Luther and the Reformation alive and relevant for our time. Rev. Stephen Godsall-Myers discussed the yearly Lutherland trips, "Handwriting of the Scriptures" project, and other resources, including a possible Reformation bike ride and CD of Songs of the Reformation. Read more...

Enlightening Forums

The Assembly members had the option to visit interactive Forum sessions with Dr. Mark Hanson, a packed session on "Nurturing Vibrant Congregations" with Dr. David Lose, and a session on Social Media as it affects youth led by Molly Beck Dean, assistant to the bishop/youth ministry specialist. 

Mission Center

The Assembly members learned about a number of our Ministry Partners in the Mission Center, including Welcome Church, the Stewardship Resource Team, the Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA and the Communicators' Network.

Legislative Action

The Assembly approved some constitution and bylaw changes; approved a resolution urging individuals and congregations who are Thrivent Financial members to address any concerns about Thrivent's new neutrality policy to the company's representatives and board; directed the Transitional Ministry Development Team to review the current process for interim ministry, review examples used by other synods, and recommend expanded options for congregations; and referred the document "Sabbaticals: Extended Study and Renewal, Guidelines for Implementation (April 2014)" to the Synod Council for review and presentation to the 2015 Synod Assembly. Read more (PDF download)...